Hitting criticism, Trump threatens security clearance of former officials

WASHINGTON (Reuters) – The White House threatened Monday to remove six former US intelligence and police officials, including Obama CIA director John Brennan says Russian President Vladimir Putin has criticized his US counterpart Donald Trump. Michael Hayden, Susan Rice and Andrew McCabe represented an extraordinary politicization of the US government's security clearance process.

White House spokeswoman Sarah Sanders said Trump "is exploring mechanisms" to remove security clearances. Sanders said that officials "politicized and in some cases monetized their public service and security clearance, accusing unfounded contacts with Russia or Russia".

After the Helsinki summit, Trump denounced Russia's interference in the 2016 US elections despite the findings of the US intelligence community, Brennan described Trump's remarks as "nothing less than betrayal. In his 16 July Twitter post, Brennan added: "Not only are Trump's comments foolish, but he is entirely in Putin's pocket."

Trump dismissed Comey as director of the FBI last year and he became a prominent critic. morally unfit to be president. "Clapper, who resigned from his position as national intelligence director prior to Trump's arrival last year, accused the president of" besieging "American democratic institutions.

Hayden is a former director of the CIA and the National Security Agency.Rice was the national security advisor to former President Barack Obama.Marcabe, who was involved in the agency's investigation on the role of Russia in the 2016 US elections, was sacked by Attorney General Jeff Sessions in March.

Many former US officials retain their security clearance after they leave government service because they continue to advise their former organizations or because it is a condition of employment as contractors or government consultants. "Removing authorizations also represents a reprimand officials and breaks a connection with the intelligence community.

Sanders refers to Brennan's Treason Commentary Explaining Trump's Threat to Security Clearances

"Accusing the President of the United States of Treason Activity When You Have the Highest Level of security clearance, when you are the person who holds the deepest and most sacred secrets of the nation and you go out and make false accusations against the President of the United States, "Sanders said," If Trump was punishing former officials because of their criticisms, Sanders said, "No, I think you're creating your own story there."

Trump was subjected to a flood of criticism after Helsinki, including many Lawmakers in his own Republican Party.Senator Rand Paul, one of the few who publicly supported him last week, said that he had met Trump on Monday and asked him to revoke the law. 39; habilita Brennan Security

& # 39; A TERRIBLE PRECEDENT & # 39;

Clapper called the security clearances "just a very, very small thing to do."

"There is a formal process for doing this, but you know I guess the president has this prerogative legally," Clapper told CNN. "It can suspend or revoke the permissions as it sees fit, and if it chooses to do so for political reasons, I think it's a terrible precedent, and it's a very sad comment. "

Hayden, a retired General of the Air Force four-star, said that he was not involved.

"I do not come back for clbadified briefings," he wrote on Twitter. "Will not have any effect on what I say or write."

A McCabe spokeswoman, Melissa Schwartz, wrote on Twitter that her security clearance was disabled when he was fired, according to what they were told.

"You would think the White House would check with the FBI before trying to throw shiny objects to the press," Schwartz said.

The CIA and the Office of the Director of National Intelligence, which oversees all of the United States. Critics have blasted the White House, with Democratic Senator Mazie Hirono writing on Twitter, "That's how totalitarianism looks like."

Some Democrats have criticized the proposal as: a deviation tactic to change the conversation around what Trump may have agreed with Putin in their two-hour, one-on-one meeting.

"This is absolute nonsense, and we should not fall in love," spokesman Senator Mark Warner, the top Democrat on the Senate Intelligence Committee. "In this country, we do not punish people for exercising their rights to the First Amendment", referring to the constitutional provision protecting freedom of expression

(Supplementary report by Doina Chiacu, Eric Beech and Warren Strobel Milliken, edited by Will Dunham)

This story was not edited by Firstpost staff and is generated by self-feeding.