Paybacks<\/p>\n
Today, President Donald J Trump \u201cpulled\u201d former CIA Director John Brennan\u2019s security clearance.\u00a0 While he came up with a variety of excuses for doing so, this is really only about one thing:\u00a0 Brennan called Trump\u2019s behavior at Helsinki treasonous.\u00a0 John Brennan, in his own well-developed opinion, felt Trump did not act in the best interest of the United States.\u00a0 Today Trump told him \u2013 paybacks are a bitch (or a dog.)<\/p>\n
Others, including NSA Director Mike Hayden, former DNI James Clapper and former Deputy Attorney General Sally Yates, are also under consideration for losing their clearances.\u00a0And, while James Comey and Andy McCabe are also mentioned, they have carefully pointed out that they lost their clearance when they were fired from the FBI.\u00a0 I\u2019m sure Peter Strozk\u2019s name will be added to the list of those who should lose clearance, but already have lost them.<\/p>\n
Retired intelligence officials are kept on clearances in order to help current officials.\u00a0Intelligence issues cross the boundaries of political changes; sometimes it\u2019s necessary to find out what was done before.\u00a0 These former officials act as the institutional memory and can help add depth and understanding to current decisions.\u00a0 They don\u2019t get updated intelligence briefings, but occasionally are brought \u201cup to speed\u201d in order to give input on current operations.<\/p>\n
This won\u2019t stop Brennan, now working for NBC, or the others from stating their views and opinions.\u00a0They don\u2019t need a clearance to work in the media, and they don\u2019t need the President\u2019s permission to speak out.\u00a0They cannot reveal \u201csecrets,\u201d they are still bound by the laws and regulations that protect national security, with or without a clearance, so having the clearance doesn\u2019t effect their current employment.<\/p>\n
What it does do is deprive our current national intelligence leaders of their experience.\u00a0 In an Administration that is sorely lacking in that area, it seems reckless to deny access to more.\u00a0\u00a0 And it threatens the free speech rights of those named.<\/p>\n
But, as it has been made clear again and again, the President\u2019s main goal is to defend himself, not our country.\u00a0 That Brennan would dare speak out, stating what a great many Americans were thinking as they watched the President humiliate himself to Russia\u2019s leader, is unacceptable.\u00a0 And since Brennan seems impervious to the President\u2019s preferred method of attack, the dreaded \u201ctweet,\u201d Trump had to find some more dramatic way to try to disgrace him.<\/p>\n