GOP strategist and MSNBC contributor Steve Schmidt said Thursday that President Trump Donald John TrumpSteele Dossier sub-source was subject of FBI counterintelligence probe Pelosi slams Trump executive order on pre-existing conditions: It 'isn't worth the paper it's signed on' Trump 'no longer angry' at Romney because of Supreme Court stance MORE's decision to revoke former CIA Director John Brennan John Owen BrennanJournalism or partisanship? The media's mistakes of 2016 continue in 2020 Comey on Clinton tweet: 'I regret only being involved in the 2016 election' Ex-CIA Director Brennan questioned for 8 hours in Durham review of Russia probe MORE's security clearance showed the president's "autocratic fetish."

"It’s an act of retribution," Schmidt said on MSNBC's "Deadline." "It’s an abuse of power by a President who shows his tendency towards his autocratic fetish with increasing frequency."

Steve Schmidt calls Trump's move to strip security clearances “an abuse of power by a President who shows his tendency towards his autocratic fetish with increasing frequency." pic.twitter.com/uUZrMgAKCL — TPM Livewire (@TPMLiveWire) August 16, 2018

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Schmidt made the remark just a day after White House Press Secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders announced that Trump had stripped the security clearance from Brennan, a former Obama administration official who has been an outspoken critic of Trump.

In addition, Sanders said that the White House was reviewing access to classified information for several other former government officials who have been critical of Trump, including former FBI Director James Comey, former National Security Agency Director Michael Hayden and former Deputy Attorney General Sally Yates.

Schmidt called the development a "massive abuse of power" and a sign that the Trump administration is actively misusing its authority over security clearances.

"What we see is a president essentially saying that security clearances are not earned," Schmidt said, pointing to the security clearances that White House aides Ivanka Trump Ivana (Ivanka) Marie TrumpThe Hill's 12:30 Report: Trump stokes fears over November election outcome Special counsel investigating DeVos for potential Hatch Act violation: report Trump, Biden vie for Minnesota MORE and Jared Kushner Jared Corey KushnerAbraham Accords: New hope for peace in Middle East Tenants in Kushner building file lawsuit alleging dangerous living conditions Trump hosts Israel, UAE, Bahrain for historic signing MORE have gained. "It’s not that they’re bestowed, but it’s a reward for being loyal."

Schmidt also charged that Trump was only making the situation worse for himself with regard to special counsel Robert Mueller Robert (Bob) MuellerCNN's Toobin warns McCabe is in 'perilous condition' with emboldened Trump CNN anchor rips Trump over Stone while evoking Clinton-Lynch tarmac meeting The Hill's 12:30 Report: New Hampshire fallout MORE's probe into Russian election interference.

"This is a cornered president who’s lashing out in all directions," he said. "One of the things that we know is that through the course of this investigation each time he has acted petulantly, that he’s lashed out emotionally, he's made the situation worse for himself."

Schmidt made the statement after Trump told The Wall Street Journal on Wednesday that he drew a direct connection between special counsel Robert Mueller's probe and his decision to revoke Brennan’s security clearance. Brennan was among the team that first presented evidence of Russian interference to former President Obama.

“I call it the rigged witch hunt, [it] is a sham,” Trump told the Journal. “And these people led it! So I think it’s something that had to be done.”

Schmidt has frequently criticized Trump and the Republican party, saying in June that he would begin voting for Democrats until GOP lawmakers found their independence from Trump.