The following article was posted on the Axios website July 23, 2018:
White House press secretary Sarah Sanders told reporters Monday that President Trump is considering revoking former CIA Director John Brennan’s security clearance, as well as those of several other former intelligence officials, claiming they’ve “politicized and in some cases actually monetized their public service security clearances” and have made “baseless accusations” against the president.
Why it matters: These former intelligence officials have all been quick to criticize the president, with Brennan being a leading voice of opposition following Trump’s summit with Russian President Vladimir Putin. As some White House reporters pointed out in the briefing, revoking their clearances has the optics of political retaliation.
Others on Trump’s blacklist: Former Director of National Intelligence James Clapper, former FBI Director James Comey, former National Security Advisor Director Michael Hayden, former National Security Advisor Susan Rice, and former FBI Deputy Director Andrew McCabe.