Rand Paul celebrates after Trump revokes Brennan's security clearance

Thomas Novelly | Courier Journal

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.

Sen. Rand Paul made President Donald Trump an offer he couldn't refuse.

Trump revoked former CIA Director John Brennan's security clearance Wednesday evening, three weeks after Paul publicly and privately asked Trump to do so.

And Paul is basking in the success of his mission.

"I applaud President Trump for his revoking of John Brennan’s security clearance," Paul tweeted Wednesday. "I urged the President to do this."

Last month, Brennan fiercely critiqued the president for meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin and said it "exceeds the threshold of 'high crimes and misdemeanors.'"

Shortly after, Paul tweeted that he had a meeting at the White House with Trump where he said that "John Brennan and other partisans should have their security clearances revoked."

Read this: John Brennan says Trump's denial of Russian collusion is 'hogwash'

The Kentucky Republican was one of the few politicians to defend the president's meeting with Russia, where Trump said he accepted Putin's claim that Russia did not interfere with the election, which undermined the reports of U.S. intelligence agencies.

Paul quickly chimed in that diplomacy was necessary with Russia and that Trump is fair in critiquing America's security agencies.

“The president has undergone an onslaught, a year, a year and a half, of a partisan investigation accusing him somehow of colluding with Russia,” Paul told CBS after Trump's meeting in July. “I think he’s sensitive to that.”

Paul also attacked Brennan in a Fox News interview as “completely unhinged” and a “Trump hater." In a series of tweets, he also claimed he was monetizing his security clearance.

Background: Trump revokes former CIA director John Brennan's security clearance

Paul, however, has been a fierce opponent of Brennan for the majority of his political career.

In 2013, when the Senate was set to vote on Brennan's appointment as CIA director, Paul filibustered the vote citing former President Barack Obama's use of military drones for his delay.

"I filibustered Brennan’s nomination to head the CIA in 2013, and his behavior in government and out of it demonstrate why he should not be allowed near classified information," Paul said in a statement Wednesday.

Brennan has been a vocal critic against Russia since leaving the White House administration in January 2017.

Paul, however, has warmed up to Russia and even made a trip there earlier this month to "continue a dialogue on vital issues such as nuclear non-proliferation and combating terrorism."

See also: Rand Paul personally delivered a letter from Trump to Vladimir Putin

During his trip, he even hand-delivered a letter to Putin's administration on behalf of Trump, a claim that the White House later clarified and said: "the president mentioned topics of interest that Sen. Paul wanted to discuss with President Putin.”

Paul didn't pull any punches on Wednesday after it was announced that Brennan's security clearances had been revoked, taking one last chance to kick his opponent while he was down.

"He participated in a shredding of constitutional rights," Paul said, "... and has been monetizing and making partisan political use of his clearance since his departure."

Thomas Novelly: tnovelly@courierjournal.com, 502-582-4465. Support strong local journalism by subscribing today: courier-journal.com/tomn.