Donald Trump revokes former CIA director John Brennan's security clearance

David Jackson | USA TODAY

Show Caption Hide Caption John Brennan, ex-CIA director, has security clearance revoked President Donald Trump revoked the security clearance of former CIA Director John Brennan and is considering revoking the security clearances of several other Obama-era officials.

WASHINGTON – Striking at one of his fiercest critics over Russia, President Trump said Wednesday he has revoked the security clearance of former CIA director John Brennan, and continues to review the clearances of other Barack Obama administration officials.

Brennan has used his status "to make a series of unfounded and outrageous allegations" and "wild outbursts on the Internet and television about this administration," Trump said in a statement read by White House Press Secretary Sarah Sanders.

As critics accused Trump of seeking to silence opponents, the president added names to his list of other Obama-era officials whose security clearances are under review: FBI and Justice Department officials involved in the investigation of Russian interference in the 2016 presidential election.

Brennan, like many of his supporters, called the decision part of a broader effort by Trump to "suppress freedom of speech" and "punish critics."

"It should gravely worry all Americans, including intelligence professionals, about the cost of speaking out," Brennan tweeted. "My principles are worth far more than clearances. I will not relent."

This action is part of a broader effort by Mr. Trump to suppress freedom of speech & punish critics. It should gravely worry all Americans, including intelligence professionals, about the cost of speaking out. My principles are worth far more than clearances. I will not relent. https://t.co/TNzOxhP9ux — John O. Brennan (@JohnBrennan) August 15, 2018

“John Brennan is panicking. He has disgraced himself, he has disgraced the Country, he has disgraced the entire Intelligence Community. He is the one man who is largely responsible for the destruction of American’s faith in the Intelligence Community and in some people at the.... — Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) May 21, 2018

Some of Brennan's supporters described the security review as the compilation of a Trump blacklist.

"This has zero to do with national security," tweeted Michael Bromwich, an attorney for former deputy FBI director Andrew McCabe, whose security clearance is one of those under review. "This is an Official Enemies List. The offense: exercising 1st Amendment rights."

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Congressional Democrats assailed Trump over the move.

House Democratic leader Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., called it "a stunning abuse of power" and an attempt to distract from Trump's many scandals. U.S. Rep. Adam Schiff of California, the top Democrat on the House Intelligence Committee, said Trump again demonstrated "how deeply insecure and vindictive he is – two character flaws dangerous in any President."

The Brennan decision came quickly, less than a month after the White House announced the security clearance review on July 23.

Maybe less: The written version of Trump's statement was dated July 26; the White House later re-issued the statement without any date at all.

Trump announced last month he was reviewing the security clearances of a number of ex-Obama officials, including Brennan as well as former FBI director director James Comey, former national intelligence director James Clapper, former CIA director Michael Hayden, former national security adviser Susan Rice and McCabe.

A threat to free speech

Clapper, in an interview on CNN, said he would continue to speak out even if he loses his security clearance.

Claiming a threat to free speech, Clapper said Trump's actions amount to an "Infringement of our right to speak, and apparently the appropriateness of being critical of this President."

Clapper also noted that some of Trump's targets, including Comey, gave up their security clearances after leaving office.

In making his announcement about Brennan, Trump added names to the list that included former FBI officials Peter Strzok and Lisa Page.

Strzok is the FBI official fired within the past week in part because of anti-Trump text messages he sent to Page, who left the FBI earlier this year.

Also on the list: Current Justice Department official Bruce Ohr. Supporters of Trump said Ohr was in contact with retired British spy Christopher Steele, who compiled a dossier alleging a relationship between Trump and Russians involved in election interference.

Asked if Trump believes Ohr should be fired, Sanders said: "I don't have any personnel announcements on that front. I can just tell you we're looking into that specific matter."

Russian efforts to favor Trump by hacking the emails of Democratic officials and pushing fake news about presidential nominee Hillary Clinton are currently under investigation by special counsel Robert Mueller.

Trump has denounced the Mueller investigation as a "hoax" concocted by Democrats upset at their election loss.

Security clearances for ex-government employees are not that unusual, and those who have them do not always exercise them.

Former leaders of U.S. intelligence and law enforcement agencies have been allowed to maintain access to classified information, both as a professional courtesy and so that they can consult with successors on certain national security issues.

"Neither of these justifications supports Mr. Brennan's continued access to classified information," Sanders said in reading Trump's statement.

Any benefit of consultations with Brennan is "outweighed by the risks posed by his erratic conduct and behavior," the Trump statement said, and that behavior "has tested and far exceeded the limits of any professional courtesy that may have been due to him."

A vigorous critic

Brennan has been among Trump's most acerbic critics.

After Trump's July 16 news conference with Russian President Vladimir Putin – one in which Trump appeared to accept Putin's denials of election interference over the conclusions of the U.S. intelligence community – Brennan described the U.S. president's performance as "nothing short of treasonous."

In an appearance Tuesday on MSNBC, Brennan called Trump "dangerous to our nation."

Some of Brennan's defenders said Trump timed his action to take attention away from a critical book by former aide Omarosa Manigault Newman, who accused the president of racism and mental deterioration – a story Brennan also weighed in on a day before he lost his security clearance.

After Trump denounced Manigault as a "lowlife" and a "dog," Brennan tweeted that "it's astounding how often you fail to live up to minimum standards of decency, civility, & probity. Seems like you will never understand what it means to be president, nor what it takes to be a good, decent, & honest person."

He added: "So disheartening, so dangerous for our Nation."

Mark Warner of Virginia, the top Democrat on the Senate Intelligence Committee, said the move was an “clearly” an effort to distract from other crises the White House was facing.

“The president’s campaign manager is on trial for very serious allegations, the first of two trials, you’ve got this Omarosa spectacle going on,” he said.

“What happens is you take away the intelligence community’s independence,” Warner said. “I don’t know how you can’t call this an enemies list and an attempt to silence these individuals.” Warner said it also was an attempt to silence future criticisms from officials.

Warner said he didn’t know what to do next. You wonder with each unprecedented zig and zag from this president, does each of these have to be met with a new law. I’m not sure that’s the right solution either.”

Contributing: Eliza Collins

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