WASHINGTON: The White House on Monday threatened to strike back at critics of President Donald Trump's contacts with Russia by way of revoking the protection clearances of six former US officials, drawing accusations that he used to be abusing his energy and aiming to stifle dissent.
Trump has targeted the former US intelligence and cops, White House spokeswoman Sarah Sanders mentioned, because they have got "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."
Among them is John Brennan, who headed the CIA underneath Trump's predecessor Barack Obama and used to be one of the most vocal critics of Trump's efficiency at his summit last week with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Helsinki. After Trump gave credence to Putin's denial of meddling within the 2016 US election in spite of findings by way of the US intelligence neighborhood, Brennan known as the Republican president's remarks "nothing short of treasonous."
Trump's threat in opposition to Brennan and previous US officials James Comey, James Clapper, Michael Hayden, Susan Rice and Andrew McCabe represented an bizarre politicization of the US govt's security clearance procedure. Critics known as it petty and unheard of.
"An enemies list is ugly, undemocratic and un-American. Is there no length Trump will not go to stifle opposition?" asked US Representative Adam Schiff, the highest Democrat at the House Intelligence Committee.
Sanders, who mentioned Trump is "exploring the mechanisms" to remove the protection clearances, made reference to Brennan's treason remark in explaining the president's threat. Asked if Trump used to be punishing the former officials as a result of their grievance, Sanders mentioned, "No, I think you are creating your own story there."
Trump got here underneath grievance after Helsinki, together with from many fellow Republicans. One of the few who publicly sided with him last week, Senator Rand Paul, mentioned he met with Trump on Monday and asked him to revoke Brennan's security clearance.
'A TERRIBLE PRECEDENT'
Many former US officials retain security clearances after leaving govt carrier because they proceed to advise their former agencies or because this can be a condition of employment as govt contractors or consultants. Stripping the clearances also would constitute a public rebuke of the officials and sever a reference to the intelligence neighborhood.
"Clearances are taken away for security violations, usually after an investigation," former deputy CIA director John McLaughlin mentioned on Twitter. "These people do not talk classified publicly. It would be political punishment infringing on first amendment rights. It's something Putin would do."
The US Constitution's First Amendment protects unfastened speech.
Some of targeted officials gave the impression to no longer have security clearances. Comey, who Trump fired as FBI director last yr, has mentioned he does no longer have one, his friend Benjamin Wittes mentioned on Twitter. Comey has change into a prominent critic, calling Trump "morally unfit to be president."
Clapper, who stepped down as director of national intelligence prior to Trump took administrative center last yr, known as revoking security clearances "just a very, very petty thing to do."
"There is a formal process for doing this, but you know I guess legally the president has that prerogative," Clapper mentioned on CNN. "He can suspend or revoke clearances as he sees fit, and if he chooses to do it for political reasons, well I think that's a terrible precedent. And it's a very sad commentary. And it's an abuse of the system."
Hayden, a former director of the CIA and National Security Agency and a retired four-star Air Force normal, mentioned he used to be unbowed.
"I don't go back for classified briefings," he wrote on Twitter. "Won't have any effect on what I say or write.".
Rice used to be former President Barack Obama's national security adviser. McCabe, who as the former No. 2 FBI professional used to be involved within the company's investigation of Russia's function within the 2016 US election, used to be fired by way of Attorney General Jeff Sessions in March.
A spokeswoman for McCabe, Melissa Schwartz, wrote on Twitter his security clearance used to be deactivated when he used to be terminated, in keeping with what they have been instructed used to be FBI policy.
Robert Mueller, the particular suggest appointed by way of the Justice Department after Comey's firing, is investigating Russia's function within the 2016 election and whether or not Trump's marketing campaign collided with Moscow. Trump has known as the probe a witch hunt and denied collusion.
Both the CIA and the Office of the Director of National Intelligence, which oversees all US intelligence agencies, mentioned they'd no touch upon Trump's threat.
Some Democrats criticized the proposal as a deflection tactic to change the conversation round what Trump will have agreed with Putin in their two-hour, one-on-one meeting.
"This is absolute nonsense, and we shouldn't fall for it," mentioned Rachel Cohen, spokeswoman for Senator Mark Warner, the senior Democrat at the Senate Intelligence Committee.
Democratic Senator Mazie Hirono used to be some of the fiercest critics, writing on Twitter, "This is what totalitarianism looks like."
Trump has targeted the former US intelligence and cops, White House spokeswoman Sarah Sanders mentioned, because they have got "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."
Among them is John Brennan, who headed the CIA underneath Trump's predecessor Barack Obama and used to be one of the most vocal critics of Trump's efficiency at his summit last week with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Helsinki. After Trump gave credence to Putin's denial of meddling within the 2016 US election in spite of findings by way of the US intelligence neighborhood, Brennan known as the Republican president's remarks "nothing short of treasonous."
Trump's threat in opposition to Brennan and previous US officials James Comey, James Clapper, Michael Hayden, Susan Rice and Andrew McCabe represented an bizarre politicization of the US govt's security clearance procedure. Critics known as it petty and unheard of.
"An enemies list is ugly, undemocratic and un-American. Is there no length Trump will not go to stifle opposition?" asked US Representative Adam Schiff, the highest Democrat at the House Intelligence Committee.
Sanders, who mentioned Trump is "exploring the mechanisms" to remove the protection clearances, made reference to Brennan's treason remark in explaining the president's threat. Asked if Trump used to be punishing the former officials as a result of their grievance, Sanders mentioned, "No, I think you are creating your own story there."
Trump got here underneath grievance after Helsinki, together with from many fellow Republicans. One of the few who publicly sided with him last week, Senator Rand Paul, mentioned he met with Trump on Monday and asked him to revoke Brennan's security clearance.
'A TERRIBLE PRECEDENT'
Many former US officials retain security clearances after leaving govt carrier because they proceed to advise their former agencies or because this can be a condition of employment as govt contractors or consultants. Stripping the clearances also would constitute a public rebuke of the officials and sever a reference to the intelligence neighborhood.
"Clearances are taken away for security violations, usually after an investigation," former deputy CIA director John McLaughlin mentioned on Twitter. "These people do not talk classified publicly. It would be political punishment infringing on first amendment rights. It's something Putin would do."
The US Constitution's First Amendment protects unfastened speech.
Some of targeted officials gave the impression to no longer have security clearances. Comey, who Trump fired as FBI director last yr, has mentioned he does no longer have one, his friend Benjamin Wittes mentioned on Twitter. Comey has change into a prominent critic, calling Trump "morally unfit to be president."
Clapper, who stepped down as director of national intelligence prior to Trump took administrative center last yr, known as revoking security clearances "just a very, very petty thing to do."
"There is a formal process for doing this, but you know I guess legally the president has that prerogative," Clapper mentioned on CNN. "He can suspend or revoke clearances as he sees fit, and if he chooses to do it for political reasons, well I think that's a terrible precedent. And it's a very sad commentary. And it's an abuse of the system."
Hayden, a former director of the CIA and National Security Agency and a retired four-star Air Force normal, mentioned he used to be unbowed.
"I don't go back for classified briefings," he wrote on Twitter. "Won't have any effect on what I say or write.".
Rice used to be former President Barack Obama's national security adviser. McCabe, who as the former No. 2 FBI professional used to be involved within the company's investigation of Russia's function within the 2016 US election, used to be fired by way of Attorney General Jeff Sessions in March.
A spokeswoman for McCabe, Melissa Schwartz, wrote on Twitter his security clearance used to be deactivated when he used to be terminated, in keeping with what they have been instructed used to be FBI policy.
Robert Mueller, the particular suggest appointed by way of the Justice Department after Comey's firing, is investigating Russia's function within the 2016 election and whether or not Trump's marketing campaign collided with Moscow. Trump has known as the probe a witch hunt and denied collusion.
Both the CIA and the Office of the Director of National Intelligence, which oversees all US intelligence agencies, mentioned they'd no touch upon Trump's threat.
Some Democrats criticized the proposal as a deflection tactic to change the conversation round what Trump will have agreed with Putin in their two-hour, one-on-one meeting.
"This is absolute nonsense, and we shouldn't fall for it," mentioned Rachel Cohen, spokeswoman for Senator Mark Warner, the senior Democrat at the Senate Intelligence Committee.
Democratic Senator Mazie Hirono used to be some of the fiercest critics, writing on Twitter, "This is what totalitarianism looks like."
Targeting critics, Donald Trump threatens ex-officials' security clearances
![Targeting critics, Donald Trump threatens ex-officials' security clearances]()
Reviewed by Kailash
on
July 24, 2018
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