Brennan: Haven’t heard from White House since they threatened to revoke security clearance

Former CIA Director John Brennan said Tuesday that he has not heard from the White House in the week since it threatened to revoke security clearances from him and other former intelligence officials who have been critical of President Trump.

“I have heard nothing other than what has come out from the White House spokesperson,” Brennan said on MSNBC.

White House press secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders told reporters last week that Trump is considering taking away security clearances for Brennan, former Director of National Intelligence James Clapper, former CIA Director Michael Hayden, former national security adviser Susan Rice, former FBI Director James Comey and former Deputy FBI Director Andrew McCabe.

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Sanders explained that Trump is bothered that the former officials are “politicizing agencies and departments that are specifically meant to not be political.”

Each individual has at one time or another been critical of the president since leaving their government jobs.

Brennan said Tuesday that the White House’s threat illustrates a “flawed understanding about what security clearances mean.”

He noted that he has returned to the CIA to review his personal files “a number of times” to prepare for congressional hearings, but has not requested a briefing on “any issue” since leaving government work. 

Brennan, who headed the intelligence agency from 2013 to 2017, also slammed Sen. Rand Paul (R-Ky.) for bringing the idea of revoking clearances to Trump’s attention.

“I don’t know anybody in the intelligence national security realms who takes what Rand Paul says seriously. But he continues to spout off on these issues,” Brennan said.

“This is Sen. Paul and Mr. Trump trying to make some public, you know, hay by saying these things,” he added.

“I have heard nothing other than what has come out from the White House spokesperson… I don’t know what’s going to happen, but they have a real flawed understanding about what security clearances mean.”

– Former CIA Director John Brennan tells @mitchellreports pic.twitter.com/k8Asglk8WG

— MSNBC (@MSNBC) July 31, 2018

Sanders first broached the subject of revoking clearances of former officials following a meeting between Paul and Trump. Paul had questioned on Twitter whether Brennan was “monetizing his security clearance.”

The White House last Tuesday reiterated that Trump is looking into the process for revoking security clearances, but offered no specifics on the timeline or how it would work. It has not provided an update since.  

Speaker Paul Ryan (R-Wis.) downplayed the threat last week, telling reporters he believes Trump is “just trolling people.”

Brennan joins Clapper as the only two officials to respond publicly to the White House’s plan. Clapper previously called it a “very petty thing to do.”