Donald Trump threatens to revoke security clearance of Obama-era officials critical of his administration

Threats: President Donald Trump is considering revoking the security clearance of those who have been openly critical of his relationship with Russia
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Chloe Chaplain23 July 2018

President Donald Trump has threatened to revoke the security clearance of CIA Director John Brennan, former FBI Director Jim Comey and other Obama-era officials who have criticised his administration.

Mr Trump is considering the highly controversial move which has been slammed by critics accusing the president of politicising the clearance process.

White House spokeswoman Sarah Huckabee Sanders said Monday that the president is "exploring the mechanisms" to strip clearance from former top national security officials.

As well as Brennan and Comey, the list of those at risk include James Clapper, Michael Hayden, Susan Rice and Andrew McCabe.

Sarah Sanders: The spokeswoman said the President is 'exploring' the possibility of revoking clearance
REUTERS

Ms Sanders accused the officials of having "politicised and in some cases monetized their public service and security clearances" by "making baseless accusations of improper contact with Russia or being influenced by Russia."

"The fact that people with security clearances are making these baseless charges provides inappropriate legitimacy to accusations with zero evidence," she said.

Official: Former CIA Director John Brennan is on the list of those who are being considered by the President
REUTERS

But it has been pointed out that at least two of them no longer have security clearance anyway.

Mr Comey, who was fired from his post at the FBI, no longer has clearance and Mr McCabe’s clearance was also deactivated.

Melissa Schwartz, a spokeswoman for McCabe, tweeted that his security clearance was deactivated when he was terminated in March 2018, "according to what we were told was FBI policy."

"You would think the White House would check with the FBI before trying to throw shiny objects to the press corps...," she wrote.

Ms Sanders’s comments came hours after Republican Sen. Rand Paul of Kentucky tweeted that he was planning to raise the issue of revoking Brennan's clearance at a meeting with Trump.

Mr Brennan had offered scathing criticism of Mr Trump's meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin last Monday, calling their press conference "nothing short of treasonous."

Members of Congress pushed back at the idea.

The top Democrat on the House Foreign Affairs Committee, Eliot Engel of New York, says revoking the clearances would be "ironic" considering the questions raised about granting them to Trump's family.

He says, "For them to start pointing fingers is ridiculous."

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