Washington (CNN) Sen. John Kennedy defended President Donald Trump's decision to revoke John Brennan's security clearance and called the former CIA director a "butthead" who doesn't need the clearance.

"I think most Americans look at our national intelligence experts as being above politics. Mr. Brennan has demonstrated that that's not the case. He's been totally political. I think I called him a 'butthead' and I meant it. I think he's given the national intelligence community a bad name," the Louisiana Republican told CNN's Manu Raju in an interview Wednesday.

Kennedy added, "I don't see why he would need a security clearance, I really don't."

Sen. Richard Shelby on Wednesday similarly downplayed the President's decision and questioned why former high-ranking officials would maintain security clearances once they have left government service.

"When I leave here, I'll be a private citizen. I won't be a US senator. So I don't see anything wrong with that. I don't know why they give them security clearances anyway other than maybe a transition period ... but not in perpetuity," the Alabama Republican told CNN.

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