Speaker Paul Ryan does not believe President Trump will revoke the security clearances still held by former top intelligence officials who criticize him.
“I think he’s trolling people, honestly,” Ryan told reporters Tuesday when asked if he thinks Trump will follow through.
White House press secretary Sarah Sanders said Monday Trump is considering revoking the clearances of former CIA Director John Brennan, former national security adviser Susan Rice, former Director of National Intelligence James Clapper, former FBI Director James Comey, and former Deputy FBI Director Andrew McCabe.
Ryan said security clearances are decided by the Executive Branch and that some of the names mentioned may no longer hold those clearances. Comey and McCabe don’t appear to have clearances.
Sen. Rand Paul, R-Ky., has called on Trump to revoke Brennan’s security clearance after Brennan called Trump’s behavior after a meeting with Vladimir Putin in Helsinki, “nothing short of treasonous.”
Paul told Trump in a meeting Monday to revoke the clearances of Brennan and other public critics who Paul said are monetizing continued access to classified information with cable news contracts.
