Former CIA Director John Brennan is unsure whether the Trump administration has actually revoked his security clearance, as he has not heard from the administration after White House press secretary Sarah Sanders announced earlier this month that he would be losing access to intelligence.
“I’ve not been contacted by anybody at all either before or since then. Whether or not my clearance has been stripped, I’m still uncertain about,” Brennan said in an interview with MSNBC’s Hallie Jackson on Tuesday.
“In this current administration, process seems to be thrown out the door,” Brennan added. “Because the process for revocation of clearance has very clear guidelines. So, the Trump administration did not follow the guidelines that they, in fact, affirmed last year, about how to deal with security clearance revocations.”
Jackson asked if Brennan believed that the administration was “walking it back,” prompting Brennan to indicate that there has been pushback within the administration to revoke his clearance.
“Given that I think everybody believes that the rational for stripping me of my clearance is bogus, I’m sure there are some people who are scratching their head right now, who are maybe having to put together the memorandum, to say why I was stripped of my clearances, other than the fact that Mr. Trump might not like me. Which is not a valid reason,” he said.
The White House announced on Aug. 15 that Brennan’s security clearance would be stripped, citing Brennan’s “erratic behavior” as why he shouldn’t have access to sensitive information. The Trump administration also said it is reviewing the security clearances of other former officials, including former Director of National Intelligence James Clapper, and one current official, Justice Department official Bruce Ohr.
