President Trump has revoked the security clearance for former CIA director John Brennan, the White House announced Wednesday, in the first decision to come from a review of access for several top Obama-era intelligence and law enforcement officials.
White House Press Secretary Sarah Sanders read a statement on behalf of the president during the start of the press briefing, saying Brennan âhas a history that calls his credibility into question.â
The statement also claimed Brennan had been “leveraging” the clearance to make “wild outbursts” and claims against the Trump administration in the media.
âThe president has a constitutional responsibility to protect classified information and who has access to it, and thatâs what heâs doing is fulfilling that responsibility in this action,â Sanders said Wednesday.
Last month, the White House said they were looking into the clearances for other former officials and Trump critics, including former FBI director James Comey; former deputy FBI director Andrew McCabe; former director of national intelligence James Clapper; former national security adviser Susan Rice and former CIA director Michael Hayden (who also worked under President George W. Bush).
On Wednesday, Sanders added to the list Justice Department official Bruce Ohr, former FBI agent Peter Strzok (who was fired from the bureau last week) and former FBI general counsel Lisa Page.
âThis is specific to Mr. Brennan, and the others are currently under review,â Sanders said.
The White House last month accused the former officials of having âpoliticizedâ or âmonetizedâ their public service, and said their clearances gave âinappropriate legitimacy to accusations with zero evidence.â
The White House is also considering revoking the security clearance of former Director of National Intelligence James Clapper. (Reuters)
Brennan joined NBC News and MSNBC in February as a contributor and senior national security and intelligence analyst.
But Democrats blasted the administration for the clearance review, saying Trump politicized the process and had gone too far. Wednesday’s announcement fueled those allegations.
“In adding John Brennan to his enemies list, Trump demonstrates again how deeply insecure and vindictive he is â two character flaws dangerous in any President,” Rep. Adam Schiff, D-Calif., top House Intelligence Committee Democrat, tweeted. “An enemies list is ugly, undemocratic and un-American. I also believe this action to silence a critic is unlawful.”
And House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., called the move a “stunning abuse of power.”
Former CIA deputy chief of staff for Brennan, Nick Shapiro, told Fox News last month that Brennan âhasnât made one penny off of his clearance.â
He added: âThis is a political attack on career national security officials who have honorably served their country for decades under both [Republicans] & [Democrats] in an effort to distract from [Special Counsel Robert] Muellerâs investigation.â
TRUMP’S FULL STATEMENT ON REVOKING JOHN BRENNAN’S SECURITY CLEARANCEÂ
In his July 26-dated statement, Trump said: “Mr. Brennanâs lying and recent conduct, characterized by increasingly frenzied commentary, is wholly inconsistent with access to the Nationâs most closely held secrets and facilitates the very aim of our adversaries, which is to sow division and chaos.”
But despite the ongoing review, several former officials suggested it would have no impact on them.
Following the White Houseâs initial announcement, Hayden tweeted that he doesnât âgo back for classified briefings. Wonât have any effect on what I say or write.â
A friend of Comeyâs, Benjamin Wittes, tweeted last month that the former FBI director doesnât have a security clearance to revoke.
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Former FBI Director James Comey is also on the White House’s list of former officials they are considering revoking security clearances, though a friend of Comey’s suggested the former director no longer has a clearance to revoke. (AP)
And Strzok, upon his removal from the bureau last month, lost his security clearance.
McCabeâs spokesperson Melissa Schwartz said his security clearance was deactivated when he was fired.
While Brennan is among the highest-profile on the list in terms of media appearances, Clapper and Hayden also are contributors for CNN. Rice frequently is a guest on news programs, and Comey recently finished a media blitz to promote his memoir âA Higher Loyaltyâ in May.