Former CIA deputy chief of staff Nick Shapiro on Tuesday slammed President Trump Donald John TrumpBiden on Trump's refusal to commit to peaceful transfer of power: 'What country are we in?' Romney: 'Unthinkable and unacceptable' to not commit to peaceful transition of power Two Louisville police officers shot amid Breonna Taylor grand jury protests MORE for considering a revocation of ex-intelligence officials' security clearances, saying people don't need clearance to "speak out" against him.

“One doesn’t need a security clearance to speak out against the failings of Trump," Shapiro told Politico. "This is a political attack on career national security officials who have honorably served their country for decades under both [Republicans] and Dems in an effort to distract from [special counsel Robert] Mueller’s investigation.”

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Shapiro added that 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, who has frequently criticized Trump, has not made a "penny off of his clearance." In addition, he pointed to comments from Michael Morell, a former acting and deputy CIA director, laying out why intelligence officials maintain their security clearance when they leave their positions.

Shapiro's statement comes just a day after White House press secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders announced that the Trump administration is exploring revoking security clearances for an array of Obama-era intelligence officials.

The officials include Brennan, former Director of National Intelligence James Clapper, former FBI Director James Comey, former national security adviser Susan Rice and former FBI Deputy Director Andrew McCabe. Former CIA Director Michael Hayden, who served under former President George W. Bush, was also named.

Sanders accused the officials, who are frequent critics of Trump's, of "politicizing" and "monetizing" their public service.

"Making baseless accusations of improper contact with Russia, or being influenced by Russia, against the president is extremely inappropriate," she said. "And the fact that people with security clearances are making these baseless charges provides inappropriate legitimacy to accusations with zero evidence."

Hayden responded to the news by saying that losing his security clearance won't have any impact on what he says or writes. Clapper called the move from the White House "petty."

In addition to Sanders's comment, Sen. Rand Paul Randal (Rand) Howard PaulRand Paul says he can't judge 'guilt or innocence' in Breonna Taylor case Overnight Health Care: Health officials tell public to trust in science | Despair at CDC under Trump influence | A new vaccine phase 3 trial starts Health officials tell public to trust in science MORE (R-Ky.) said on Monday that he met with Trump to discuss revoking Brennan's security clearance.