Trump wants to revoke security clearances for former officials who 'monetize' and 'politicize' their positions

(Image credit: Zach Gibson/Pool/Getty Images)

published 23 July 2018

White House Press Secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders said Monday that President Trump is considering revoking security clearances for former CIA Director John Brennan, former FBI Director James Comey, and former national security officials Andrew McCabe, James Clapper, Susan Rice, and Michael Hayden.

Sanders said some of the former officials have "monetized" and "politicized" their security clearances by making "baseless charges" against Trump. Comey and McCabe reportedly haven't had security clearance for months, a spokeswoman for McCabe said Monday, while Clapper, the former director of national intelligence, called the threat "petty" and warned that revoking clearances could set a "terrible precedent."

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Summer Meza has worked at The Week since 2018, serving as a staff writer, a news writer and currently the deputy editor. As a proud news generalist, she edits everything from political punditry and science news to personal finance advice and film reviews. Summer has previously written for Newsweek and the Seattle Post-Intelligencer, covering national politics, transportation and the cannabis industry.

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