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Trump revokes ex-CIA director John Brennan's security clearance

The whole thing is another example of the gong show white house lead by the full time contestant, Donald.
- they did not remove the date from the top of the action memo document, July 26, 2018 clearly showing that they had been sitting on an action that they then claim is national security related. So meaning what, you simply took the national security risk from July 26 to Aug 15? Then because they simply could not cover the blunder with any rational excuse, claimed that the document was not intended to be dated. OK meaning what, the date magically appeared? Gong Show!
- the document again discusses Brennan "Access" to sensitive material. No former Intel operative has Access once out of the Government. Gong Show!
- the document again calls out former government officials that no longer have a clearance. Gong Show!
- having released this long document trying to propose a ludicrous rationalization for striping Brennan of his clearance Trump, the can't help himself President, promptly reports through the Wall Street Journal that the real reason was Brennan's early involvement in the Russia probe setting up yet another hiding in plain sight incident of potential obstruction for Mueller to add to his ever growing catalog. Gong Show!
- that Trump once again either refuses to even listen to or ignores advice that he just let Omarosa go, release her book and not give her any extra oxygen is more evidence of how utterly unfit Trump is for office. With all the things he could be engaged in as Chief Executive he gets into an Oval Office dog pile with Omarosa even to the extent of dropping the Brennan clearance move that they had been sitting on since July 26th. GONG SHOW!!!!
- the man has no clue about the job of the Presidency. He just uses it as a means to enhance his personal wealth prospects and uses it as a platform to continue the nonsensical approach he always had to his businesses only now its on our nickel as American Citizens. GONG SHOW...GONG SHOW.....GONG SHOW!!!!
 
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At this point, I think it’s not even about the money so much. Is just really just about ego. Narcissism is classified as a mental health disorder for a reason. It is highly dysfunctional, often hurting people around the patient more than the patient themselves.
 
hanger4 said:
Fixed the second link

https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.nationalreview.com/corner/john-brennan-dishonesty-long-record/amp/
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Not really. It is still the national review.
Consider:

"By their own admission, the National Review is a right-leaning site/magazine known for “up-to-the-minute conservative commentary on politics, news, and culture.” Author William F. Buckley Jr. Buckley founded the magazine in the early 50s and, himself, was known for several controversies: He co-authored a book defending McCarthyism and referred to HIV/AIDS as a “gay curse,” calling for immediate sterilization of people with HIV."
nationalreview.com - Real or Satire?
 
ludin said:
I see no reason that he needs a security clearance.
if he is not working the job and doesn't have the job then he doesn't need a security clearance.

if i leave my job i have to turn in my laptop and badges and things.
so why does he need to keep his security clearance?
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Simple, of course. Brennan is a former Director of the CIA. He is asked to help understand issues that happened during his time as director. You, on the other hand, are a nobody. And when your boss fires you, he gets everything back. Simple.
 
ludin said:
he technically lied before congress on multiple occasions and should be in jail.
The criminal offense of "contempt of Congress" sets the penalty at not less than one month nor more than twelve months in jail and a fine of not less than $100 nor more than $1,000
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I noticed that as USUAL you are making accusations with no links to impartial sources to prove your drivel. First, you should look up impartial. Just so you have a clue.
 
Just in this morning: Trump just tweeted his explanation for this. Brennan was one of the first to get wind of possible collusion between Trump and the Russians during the Obama administration. Trump said that he was one of the first to have started the “rigged witch hunt”, and that’s why he had to be punished.

Very revealing into what’s going on in Trump’s head.

Brennon, in the other hand, just published an op ed spilling the beans: he says that Trump claims of the Russia collusion claims being just a witchhunt are “hogwash”. Coming from the CIA director in charge at the time this stuff was happening, this is a huge statement.

The plot thickens. Does Brennan have other information he has not yet revealed?
 
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JMR said:
Your job might not be of the same caliber perhaps? Brennan has worked for 6 presidential administrations and is a highly valuable source of information and context. It is too bad that Trump is such an infant that he plays games like this.
And it is sad that his supporters will find a way to accept this and defend it as "normal" It is not normal, it is not done. Not since Nixon anyway.
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It doesn't matter. He has no need of it. Brennan from what i have been reading wasn't this upstanding guy that everyone thinks he is.
If your not doing the job then you don't clearance.
 
Amelia said:
His security clearance isn't everyday access. It just lets him have access quickly if sudden world events happen where his expertise would be beneficial. With his recent experience, he is a national asset which Trump just neutralized because Trump is too insecure to handle criticism.
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Then they can bring him in on temporary basis if he is needed.
Given what i am reading he should be in jail with a few other people.

He is about an unethical as the rest of them.
from leaking information to the press to a few other things.
 
ataraxia said:
Just in this morning: Trump just tweeted his explanation for this. Brennan was one of the first to get wind of possible collusion between Trump and the Russians during the Obama administration. Trump said that he was one of the first to have started the “rigged witch hunt”, and that’s why he had to be punished.

Very revealing into what’s going on in Trump’s head.

Brennon, in the other hand, just published an op ed spilling the beans: he says that Trump claims of the Russia collusion claims being just a witchhunt are “hogwash”. Coming from the CIA director in charge at the time this stuff was happening, this is a huge statement.

The plot thickens. Does Brennan have other information he has not yet revealed?
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what collusion? collusion isn't a crime. also so far no one has been charged by mueller for conspiracy.
you guys keep barking up the wrong tree.
 
ataraxia said:
This is unprecedented. .
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This is true, and it's why it's a sad pathetic little action. That said, it's also rather unprecedented for an official of his former position and continuing to hold such a clearance to publicly excoriate and call into question the actions of the executive branch and it's intelligence and diplomatic agencies and show personal, deeply rooted animosity towards the President of the United States. Trump's actions in this were unusual, but it is far from the only unusual actions relating to this issue.

Thus is the era of Trump, where idiocy abounds, pettiness is rampant, and everyone seems to subscribe to the Ends justifying the Means.
 
RSHERMR said:
I noticed that as USUAL you are making accusations with no links to impartial sources to prove your drivel. First, you should look up impartial. Just so you have a clue.
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https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2014/jul/31/cia-director-john-brennan-lied-senate

I notice as usual you have nothing either. it takes 5 second to do a google search.
you should look up impartial because given your posts this is about as hypocritical as you can get.
you are far from impartial so you should probably take your own advice instead of projecting.
 
Zyphlin said:
This is true, and it's why it's a sad pathetic little action. That said, it's also rather unprecedented for an official of his former position and continuing to hold such a clearance to publicly excoriate and call into question the actions of the executive branch and it's intelligence and diplomatic agencies and show personal, deeply rooted animosity towards the President of the United States. Trump's actions in this were unusual, but it is far from the only unusual actions relating to this issue.

Thus is the era of Trump, where idiocy abounds, pettiness is rampant, and everyone seems to subscribe to the Ends justifying the Means.
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An article from 2014
https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2014/jul/31/cia-director-john-brennan-lied-senate

brennan should have been fired a long time ago and his clearances yanked.
 
ludin said:
Then they can bring him in on temporary basis if he is needed.
Given what i am reading he should be in jail with a few other people.

He is about an unethical as the rest of them.
from leaking information to the press to a few other things.
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His security clearance let them bring him in on a temporary basis if he was needed.

Without his security clearance, he would have to go through the process of getting clearance again to get brought in, and that means he couldn't be there when needed.
 
ludin said:
It doesn't matter. He has no need of it. Brennan from what i have been reading wasn't this upstanding guy that everyone thinks he is.
If your not doing the job then you don't clearance.
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I assume there is an Admiral who led Joint Special Operations Command who disagrees with your assessment. I think I'll go with him.
 
Zyphlin said:
Stop being rational, composed, and nuanced! That's not allowed in the age of Trump
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:3oops:

Sorry :(


Ahem.


OH SO I GUESS YOU'RE A RUSSIAN-AGENT AMERICA-HATING RACIST, THEN!

??
 
So my personal feeling is that the 24/7 Cable News channels are just going right off the cliff edge with this.

Yes it is bad. I don't agree with it. Its actually worse than bad...it horrific and the arguments that these people are out of government now don't cut any mustard with me.

However, the stretch to Trump removing clearances from Mueller and his team are just that IMO, a stretch.

First, there is an actual process for removing security clearances and a 15 part set of standards at least one of which must be met within that process. Brennan meets none of them I might add.

If the President does not wish to follow the process he can ask for a waiver to be signed by either the CIA Director or the DNI. He did neither in this case. They either refused to sign, or Trump simply did not ask!

So while I think that the process should still have been followed in the case of Brennan's clearance, I do not think the stretch can be made to active members of the government like Mueller. Trump would have no grounds under the standards called for in the process for removal and I doubt he could get either the CIA Director or the DNI to sign.

In other words, the same political exigencies that prevent Trump from firing Sessions or firing Rosenstein and Mueller prevent him from removing Mueller's security clearance. Besides, anybody that thinks getting rid of Mueller stops the investigation at this point is just pissing into the breeze. Forget it!
 
Just in: admiral McRaven, the architect of the Bin Laden raid, has also strongly condemned this move by the Trump administration. It is a powerfully worded rebuke of the Trump administration :

”Washington (CNN)- Retired Adm. William McRaven, the man who oversaw the 2011 Navy SEAL raid that killed Osama bin Laden, issued a stunning rebuke of President Donald Trump's decision to revoke the security clearance of former CIA Director John Brennan on Thursday, defending the former spy chief as "one of the finest public servants I have ever known....

"Through your actions, you have embarrassed us in the eyes of our children, humiliated us on the world stage and, worst of all, divided us as a nation," McRaven said of Trump.
"If you think for a moment that your McCarthy-era tactics will suppress the voices of criticism, you are sadly mistaken. “
Architect of bin Laden raid issues stunning rebuke of Trump - CNNPolitics
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In an expression of solidarity with Brennan, McRaven has asked that his security clearance also be revoked.

McCarthy, Nixon, and now Trump: the GOP just seems to be the party that keeps on giving....
 
The most telling thing about Trump's stripping recent officials' security clearances is that yet again he's assailed a group of people who, regardless of how Trump may cast "this or that" issue pertaining to matters of state -- foreign policy, our adversaries, our capabilities, our law enforcement apparatus, the interplay of domestic economic, immigration, military, and social policies -- know exactly what of Trump's rhetoric is utter BS, what holds some truth, and what is indeed so and worth worrying about and not worrying about. Quite simply, Trump's most retributive act is like his NDAs, his lying, his assault on the press, and more is about one thing: keeping the American people in the dark so he can do whatever the "eff" he wants that benefits him.
 
Amelia said:
His security clearance let them bring him in on a temporary basis if he was needed.

Without his security clearance, he would have to go through the process of getting clearance again to get brought in, and that means he couldn't be there when needed.
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Not exactly. The President can issue him an interim clearance if his assistance is needed. I'm guessing it won't be.
 
Xelor said:
The most telling thing about Trump's stripping recent officials' security clearances is that yet again he's assailed a group of people who, regardless of how Trump may cast "this or that" issue pertaining to matters of state -- foreign policy, our adversaries, our capabilities, our law enforcement apparatus, the interplay of domestic economic, immigration, military, and social policies -- know exactly what of Trump's rhetoric is utter BS, what holds some truth, and what is indeed so and worth worrying about and not worrying about. Quite simply, Trump's most retributive act is like his NDAs, his lying, his assault on the press, and more is about one thing: keeping the American people in the dark so he can do whatever the "eff" he wants that benefits him.
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Most telling has been Trump's willingness to run over with a Mack truck the original BS rationalization released from the Podium of the WH press room for removing Brennan's clearance. That in spite of the fact that it was presented as a statement from the President.

Then Trump goes on to make the claim that he had no choice but to remove Brennan's clearance because he was part of the early effort that resulted in the Russian investigation, what Trump refers to as the Witch Hunt. Now Trump intends to remove more clearances, Haydens, Clappers, etc etc for exactly the same reason, early involvement in actions that resulted in the Russian investigation.

This is about the most unhinged thing Trump has said and done to date. This would appear to be a result of Trump being in his own silo. He thinks he is succeeding in the effort and all that is happening is that he is speaking to and satisfying his ever shrinking base. The silo that Trump and Rudy occupy just keeps getting smaller and smaller and I doubt Trump is going to realize it or acknowledge it.
 
ludin said:
I see no reason that he needs a security clearance.
if he is not working the job and doesn't have the job then he doesn't need a security clearance.

if i leave my job i have to turn in my laptop and badges and things.
so why does he need to keep his security clearance?
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Consultation and testifying, occasionally they need to go back to the agency and review files. It's been a long-standing tradition in America to let former security officials maintain their security clearances for these reasons.

In fact because Brennan and other security officials on that list need to testify in the Russian investigation it could be construed as an obstruction of justice to remove their security clearances
 
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