UNITED STATES
US President, Donald Trump’s threat to withdraw national security clearances from former top-level intelligence officials making “baseless accusations” against him may be meaningless, as many have already relinquished them.
Ex-officials named in a press conference given by White House Press Secretary, Sarah Huckabee Sanders included former Director of the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA), John Brennan (pictured); former Director of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), James Comey; former Director of the National Security Agency, Michael Hayden; former National Security Advisor, Susan Rice; and former Deputy Director of the FBI, Andrew McCabe.
A spokesperson for Mr McCabe noted that his security clearance had been rescinded when he was fired by Attorney-General, Jeff Sessions in March.
Mr Comey said he had already given up his clearance when Mr Trump fired him in May 2017.
He said he had declined an offer of a temporary clearance from the Justice Department’s watchdog office so he could read classified material from a recent report about Department of Justice officials’ handling of the Clinton email investigation.
“He didn’t want to see any classified material lest the President accuse him of leaking it,” a spokesperson for Mr Comey said.
Mr Hayden, a retired Air Force General, responded with a shrug on Twitter.
All the named officials served during the previous Administration of President Barack Obama, and all have been vocal critics of Mr Trump since leaving their posts in Government.
Ms Huckabee Sanders told the press conference that Mr Trump was exploring the mechanisms to remove security clearance because the officials had “politicised, and in some cases monetised, their Public Service and security clearances”.
“Making baseless accusations of improper contact with Russia or being influenced by Russia against the President is extremely inappropriate, and the fact that people with security clearances are making these baseless charges provides inappropriate legitimacy to accusations with zero evidence,” Ms Huckabee Sanders said, appearing to read from a prepared statement.
Washington, DC, 25 July 2018
