WASHINGTON -- John Brennan, the CIA director under President Barack Obama, struck back at President Donald Trump on Thursday for revoking his security clearance, calling the president's claims of "no collusion" with Russia to influence the 2016 election "hogwash" and arguing that the commander in chief was trying to silence anyone who would challenge him.
"Mr. Trump clearly has become more desperate to protect himself and those close to him, which is why he made the politically motivated decision to revoke my security clearance in an attempt to scare into silence others who might dare to challenge him," Brennan wrote in an opinion article in The New York Times. He said the move made it more important than ever for Robert Mueller, the special counsel, to complete his investigation of Russia's election misdeeds without interference from Trump.
While Trump has repeatedly insisted there was "no collusion," Brennan wrote that the "only questions that remain are whether the collusion that took place constituted criminally liable conspiracy, whether obstruction of justice occurred to cover up any collusion or conspiracy, and how many members of 'Trump Incorporated' attempted to defraud the government by laundering and concealing the movement of money into their pockets."
Brennan took aim at Trump for his public call as a candidate in July 2016 for Russia to help find missing emails of his Democratic opponent, Hillary Clinton, who was being scrutinized for having used a private email server while secretary of state.
"By issuing such a statement, Mr. Trump was not only encouraging a foreign nation to collect intelligence against a United States citizen, but also openly authorizing his followers to work with our primary global adversary against his political opponent," Brennan wrote.
"Such a public clarion call certainly makes one wonder what Mr. Trump privately encouraged his advisers to do -- and what they actually did -- to win the election," Brennan said. "While I had deep insight into Russian activities during the 2016 election, I now am aware -- thanks to the reporting of an open and free press -- of many more of the highly suspicious dalliances of some American citizens with people affiliated with the Russian intelligence services. Mr. Trump's claims of no collusion are, in a word, hogwash."
Trump's decision to revoke the security clearance drew rebukes Thursday from national security officials and members of both political parties, who called it an extraordinary act of retaliation that reflected authoritarian tactics.
"The fact that the president did this himself leaves him open to the criticism that it looks politically motivated," Fran Townsend, who served as homeland security adviser in George W. Bush's White House, said on CBS. "The notion that you're going to pull somebody's clearance because you don't like what they did in government service or you don't like what they say is deeply disturbing and very offensive."
Later Thursday, the retired Navy admiral who oversaw the raid that killed Osama bin Laden called Trump's moves "McCarthy-era tactics." Writing in The Washington Post, William McRaven said he would "consider it an honor" if Trump would revoke his clearance, as well.
"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 wrote.
That was followed late Thursday by a joint letter from 12 former senior intelligence officials calling Trump's action "ill-considered and unprecedented." They said it "has nothing to do with who should and should not hold security clearances -- and everything to do with an attempt to stifle free speech."
The signees included six former CIA directors, five former deputy directors and former Director of National Intelligence James Clapper. Two of the signees -- Clapper and former CIA Director Michael Hayden -- have appeared on a White House list of people who may also have their security clearances revoked.
Democrats, and even some Republicans, lined up to denounce the president's move, with House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., slamming it as a "stunning abuse of power." And California Rep. Adam Schiff, the ranking Democrat on the House Intelligence Committee, tweeted, "An enemies list is ugly, undemocratic and un-American."
Several Republicans also weighed in, with Sen. Bob Corker, R-Tenn., saying, "Unless there's something tangible that I'm unaware of, it just, as I've said before, feels like a banana republic kind of thing."
Sen. Susan Collins, R-Maine, said she saw no grounds for revoking Brennan's security clearance, "unless there is disclosure of classified information, of which I'm unaware."
In a statement Wednesday, Trump cited what he called Brennan's "erratic" behavior and "increasingly frenzied commentary" as grounds for stripping the former intelligence chief of his access to classified information, saying that Brennan had abused his security clearance "to make a series of unfounded and outrageous allegations."
Trump's decision, announced Wednesday by press secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders, came only a few weeks after Sanders warned that Trump was considering revoking the clearances of Brennan and others who he believed had politicized and inappropriately profited from their access to delicate information.
In an interview later in the day with The Wall Street Journal, Trump drew a direct connection between the investigation and the targeting of Brennan and others whose security clearances he had said were under review.
"I call it the rigged witch hunt," Trump said. "And these people led it!"
"So I think it's something that had to be done," he added.
Trump has overseen the removal of top national security officials who have defied him or worked at senior levels of the Russia investigation. They include Sally Yates, the acting attorney general; James Comey, the former FBI director; Andrew McCabe, the former FBI deputy director; and Peter Strzok, the former FBI counterintelligence agent who helped oversee the Clinton email inquiry and the Russia investigation and disparaged Trump in a series of inflammatory texts.
Trump's action against Brennan appeared to be the first time that a president has ever issued or revoked a clearance outside of the established process, according to Bradley Moss, a lawyer who has written on the issue.
In the interview with the Journal, Trump argued that his list of potential targets for having security clearances revoked was not confined to his political opponents, saying that he "would put a Republican on, too, if I thought they were incompetent or crazy."
Some Republican lawmakers said they supported Trump's decision to move against Brennan, who has been unusually virulent in his criticism of the president, including accusing him of treason. But it drew criticism across the political spectrum.
A statement from Aitan Goelman, Strzok's lawyer, said Trump's move "has taken us down one more step on the path toward authoritarianism."
Information for this article was contributed by Julie Hirschfeld Davis and Michael D. Shear of The New York Times; by John Wagner, David Nakamura and Felicia Sonmez of The Washington Post; and by Jill Colvin, Catherine Lucey and Jessica Gresko of The Associated Press.
A Section on 08/17/2018