President Trump is looking into revoking the security clearances of several top Obama-era intelligence and law enforcement officials, White House Press Secretary Sarah Sanders said Monday, accusing them of having “politicized” or “monetized” their public service.
She made the announcement at Monday’s press briefing, after Sen. Rand Paul, R-Ky., called on the president to specifically revoke Trump critic and former CIA Director John Brennan’s clearance.
Sanders said Trump is considering it — and also looking into the clearances for other former officials and Trump critics: former FBI Director James Comey, former Deputy FBI Director Andrew McCabe, former Director of National Intelligence James Clapper, former National Security Adviser Susan Rice and former CIA Director Michael Hayden (who also worked under President George W. Bush).
Sanders said Trump is “exploring mechanisms” to remove the security clearances “because [the former officials] politicized and in some cases actually monetized their public service and their security clearances in making baseless accusations of improper contact with Russia.”
Sanders added that their clearances effectively give “inappropriate legitimacy to accusations with zero evidence.”
“When you have the highest level of security clearance … when you have the nation’s secrets at hand, and go out and make false [statements], the president feels that’s something to be very concerned with,” Sanders said.
According McCabe’s spokesperson Melissa Schwartz, however, his security clearance had already been deactivated when he was fired.
More at Fox News
Surprised it took this long. They have shamed their former positions
We have been asking for this for a long time. I hope the President revokes all security clearances of former administrations go back to Reagan, no job no need.
I’ll bet General Flynn is weeping uncontrollably over this horrible and unfair treatment of those who served “honorably”.
Why should those who leave government service need their security clearance? If, at some point, they do, they can resubmit for the clearance on a limited time. HILLARY should absolutely have NO access to classified information.
Trump could never have passed a routine background check himself, but the idiots made him a president.
@James D: Obama could not have passed a background check, but the idiots made him president!
@Randy: Trump the most investigated man on the planet, they cant seem to find any crimes.
@James D: I don’t know if you are aware of this or not, but he DID pass a background check. Didn’t your stupidgram tell you that? In fact, Obama was illegally investigating him as soon as he declared his candidacy… possibly before.
@Randy: NOTHING could have made Obama a President. He simply couldn’t fill the position, as his record clearly shows.
@kitt: They’ve found plenty of crimes but, damnit, they’ve all been committed by DEMOCRATS!
@Deplorable Me: I processed clearances for the Army for awhile. Obama’s past hard drug use, secretive past, and as his anti-American writings would have gotten anyone else barred from having a clearance. As for the coupsters’ clearances, once you leave government service there is no need for a clearance. I lost mine when I retired as does everyone else. The praetorian guard apparently think they are above the rest of us in this regard just like they believe they are above the law.
No he didn’t. Trump was never vetted by anybody. It’s truly unfortunate that you people are so gullible.
@James D: Do you know how clearances are vetted? You do not seem to know much about the process and the regulations regarding them. Where did you gain your expertise?
Perjury , leaking classifed information no these should not have continued clearance.
@James D: Trump has been vetted his entire life. Furthermore, without passing a background check and recieving a security clearance, he would not be able to receive security briefings.
I know your little liberal fantasies makes you feel all warm and squishy inside, but that doesn’t make them any less false, stupid and pathetic.