Trump Moves to Revoke Security Clearances
By USA Today. President Donald Trump is exploring “mechanisms” to revoke security clearances for former U.S. officials who have criticized him for his handling of the Russia investigation and his relationship with Russian President Vladimir Putin, White House press secretary Sarah Sanders said Monday.
Sanders said the administration is reviewing clearances for former CIA director John Brennan, former FBI director director James Comey, former national intelligence director James Clapper, former CIA director Michael Hayden, former national security adviser Susan Rice and former deputy FBI director Andrew McCabe.
“They politicize and in some cases actually monetize their public service and their security clearances in making baseless accusations of improper contact with Russia,” Sanders said.
Brennan, who worked in senior roles in President George W. Bush’s administration and was a CIA director under President Barack Obama, offered particularly incendiary criticism of Trump’s handling of his meeting in Helsinki with Putin. . .
Security clearances can allow government officials to work with companies on classified defense programs and advise private contractors. They also can be something of a professional courtesy, allowing former national security officials to talk to their successors. (Read more from “Trump Moves to Revoke Security Clearances” HERE)
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Trump’s Move to Revoke the Security Clearances of Former Intelligence Officials Who Criticize Him Could Backfire During a National Crisis
By Business Insider. The White House named a handful of former US intelligence officials it says President Donald Trump wants to punish by revoking their security clearances. The move is motivated by the former officials’ criticism of Trump.
That proposal received some swift reaction in the intelligence community and throughout Washington on Monday. Presidential administrations have historically relied on former leaders, like the heads of the CIA and FBI, who typically maintain a security clearance after their service has ended, for the purpose of advising the current officials on matters of national security.
In a moment of crisis, these people may offer valuable insight and expertise that could help inform the current administration’s decision, said CNN Pentagon correspondent, Barbara Starr. “You want to be able to go back to the former officials who dealt with these problems and be able to talk with them in a classified setting,” Starr said on Monday.
“Given the amount of turnover in the Trump administration, it might be, from a national security standpoint, rather valuable to retain these people, to have that ability to consult them,” she said. (Read more from “Trump’s Move to Revoke the Security Clearances of Former Intelligence Officials Who Criticize Him Could Backfire During a National Crisis” HERE)
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