A day after revoking the security clearance of former CIA Director John Brennan Trump has cited the collusion probe as the reason
WASHINGTON, U. S. – Hounded by the intensifying Russia collusion probe being led by the Special Counsel Robert Mueller, the U. S. President Donald Trump has now started blaming the probe for some of his recent key decisions.
A day after revoking the security clearance of former CIA Director John Brennan, the U. S. President has now tried to tie his decision to the ongoing investigation into the allegations of collusion between the Russian government and his 2016 Presidential campaign.
Last month, it was revealed that Trump had been mulling revoking clearances of former intelligence heads, who have been sharply critical of Trump’s presidency.
White House Press Secretary Sarah Sanders announced in a press conference that some former intelligence officials could be stripped of their status and those named by the administration, included several top Obama-era intelligence officials.
Sanders announced last month that those that could be stripped off their status include former CIA director John Brennan, former FBI director James Comey, former national intelligence director James Clapper, former CIA Director Michael Hayden, former national security adviser Susan Rice, and former FBI deputy director Andrew McCabe, who was dismissed by the Attorney General, Jeff Sessions in March this year.
She said, “They’ve politicized and in some cases monetized their public service and security clearances. Making baseless accusations of improper contact with Russia, or being influenced by Russia, against the president is extremely inappropriate and the fact that people with security clearances are making these baseless charges provides inappropriate legitimacy to accusations with zero evidence.”
The White House made the announcement shortly after Republican Senator Rand Paul of Kentucky said on Twitter, “Is John Brennan monetizing his security clearance? Is John Brennan making millions of dollars divulging secrets to the mainstream media with his attacks on @realDonaldTrump?”
A while later, he tweeted again and wrote, “Just got out of WH meeting with @realDonaldTrump. I restated to him what I have said in public: John Brennan and others partisans should have their security clearances revoked… Public officials should not use their security clearances to leverage speaking fees or network talking head fees.”
However, Trump’s plan to silence his chief critics – former intelligence officials, came in the aftermath of his highly controversial meeting with the Russian president Vladimir Putin in Finland – which several current and former officials and experts had slammed.
Brennan, for instance, said in the aftermath of Trump’s Helsinki summit that the President’s performance while meeting Putin was “nothing short of treasonous.”
On Wednesday, Trump revoked Brennan’s security clearance, accusing him of “erratic conduct and behaviour.”
Being a 25-year veteran of the U. S. intelligence agency, Brennan then led the CIA under former president Barack Obama from 2013-2017.
Being an outspoken critic of Trump, on Tuesday, Brennan retweeted a Trump tweet in which the President attacked his former aide Omarosa Manigault Newman.
Brennan said on Twitter, “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 and honest person. So disheartening, so dangerous for our nation.”
The same evening, the former CIA Director also criticized Trump during an interview with MSNBC, calling him “dangerous to our nation.”
The following day, on Wednesday, Trump nixed Brennan’s clearance and justified his decision in a statement, citing “a series of unfounded and outrageous allegations, wild outbursts on the internet and television about this administration.”
Trump said in the statement, “Mr Brennan’s lying and recent conduct, characterised by increasingly frenzied commentary, is wholly inconsistent with access to the nation’s most closely held secrets and facilitates the very aim of our adversaries, which is to sow division and chaos.”
According to some sources, Trump had consulted with Vice President Mike Pence, White House Chief of Staff John Kelly and National Security Adviser John Bolton before taking the step.
When confronted by reporters, Sanders denied that Trump was retaliating for Brennan’s criticism.
She told reporters, “Not at all. The president has a constitutional responsibility to protect classified information and who has access to it.”
Later, Brennan responded to the decision by tweeting that Trump sought to “suppress freedom of speech and punish critics.”
He wrote, “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.”
The decision, however, left many baffled and outraged.
Democrats immediately denounced Trump’s decision to revoke Brennan’s security clearance.
Commenting on the move, the House Democratic leader Representative Nancy Pelosi, said Trump’s move is a “stunning abuse of power.”
The top Democrat on the Senate intelligence committee, Senator Mark Warner, warned that a “dangerous precedent” is being set.
And Senator Chris Van Hollen, of Maryland, said, “Leaders behave like this in dictatorships, not democracies.”
In her statement after Trump’s decision was announced, Sanders pointed out that Trump was now reviewing clearances for additional Obama-era officials, including former director of national intelligence James Clapper, former FBI director James Comey, former CIA director Michael Hayden, former deputy attorney general Sally Yates, former national security adviser Susan Rice, former deputy FBI director Andrew McCabe, fired FBI official Peter Strzok, former department of justice official Lisa Page and current department of justice official Bruce Ohr.
In response, former Director of National Intelligence, James Clapper said in an interview that Trump’s action is unprecedented.
He added that the White House is “making up the criterion as they go” for withdrawing clearances.
Clapper pointed out that usually when security clearances are revoked it is by the agencies that issued them, not by the president personally.
He explained that revocations have no “immediate, substantive” impact and the threat of losing his clearance won’t stop him from speaking out against the administration.
Clapper said, “If we’re saying the only way I can speak is to be in adulation mode of this president, I’m sorry.”
Collusion links
On Thursday, in a New York Times op-ed, Brennan blasted the move as a “politically motivated” attempt to silence those who disagree with the president.
The former CIA Director wrote, “Mr. Trump clearly has become more desperate to protect himself and those close to him.
