Speaker Paul Ryan: President Trump is 'trolling people' with threat to revoke security clearances

Deirdre Shesgreen | USA TODAY

Show Caption Hide Caption Paul Ryan: Trump 'trolling' people on security clearances At his weekly press conference, Speaker Paul Ryan said he thinks President Trump is 'trolling' people with threats of revoking former intelligence and security officials' security clearances.

House Speaker Paul Ryan downplayed President Donald Trump’s threat to revoke the security clearances of high-level ex-government officials who have criticized the president.

“I think he’s just trolling people, honestly,” Ryan, R-Wis., told reporters Tuesday.

Ryan declined to say whether such a move would be appropriate, arguing that it’s under the purview of the White House, not Congress.

White House press secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders said Monday that Trump was exploring "mechanisms" to revoke security clearances of six officials who served in the Obama Administration: ex-CIA director John Brennan, former FBI director James Comey, ex-national intelligence director James Clapper, former CIA director Michael Hayden, former national security adviser Susan Rice and former deputy FBI director Andrew McCabe.

More: President Trump considers revoking security clearances for former U.S. officials

Those officials have criticized Trump for his handling of the Russia investigation and his relationship with Russian President Vladimir Putin.

In announcing the review of security clearances, Sanders said that "making baseless accusations of improper contact with Russia or being influenced by Russia against the president is extremely inappropriate."

Others called the move petty, an assessment that Ryan seemed to echo on Tuesday.

Also while speaking to reporters on Tuesday, the speaker said he wouldn't extend an invitation to Putin to speak to lawmakers if he visited Washington.

Contributing: David Jackson