Brennan Loses Security Clearance

Yesterday, Trump revoked the security clearance of ex-CIA chief, John Brennan. Trump’s statement laid out his reasons masterfully and persuasively. Trump is totally correct on this one.

Brennan has lied to Congress and others. He has made irresponsible charges against Trump. He has aired extreme suspicions of Trump. He has moved into a major media platform that supports an audience for his charges. Brennan has been a key leader and participant in the anti-Trump movement for several years now.

Trump as president cannot carry on delicate foreign policy maneuvers while an extreme antagonist has access to his every move who can undermine them by his own public criticism and statements and/or by leaks to the media. He needs to revoke security clearances of many other deep state foes.

Brennan’s response has been to renew his attacks on Trump. That’s old hat by now. He has come up with a charge that his First Amendment right of free speech is being impaired. This is ridiculous!

Brennan’s statement: “This action is part of a broader effort by Mr. Trump to suppress freedom of speech & punish critics.” What of the broad effort to drive Trump from office, of which Brennan has been in the forefront? Isn’t Trump allowed to fight back and defend his office and its powers? Is he supposed to just sit there and allow his freedom of action to be decimated? Is he supposed to allow Brennan’s antipathy to Russia and Putin replace his own overtures for peaceful relations? Trump has actually been very lenient and patient because he is surrounded by antagonists who are anxious to undermine his every good move that doesn’t fit their agenda.

In the ongoing anti-Trump movement, which ranges from Antifa to Republican senators to figures from the entertainment world to deep state foes like Brennan, with daily and near-continuous frequency, we are treated to extraordinarily senseless and malicious arguments and accusations. Add Brennan’s to the pile.

Brennan can still say whatever he pleases. His right to attack Trump has in no way been infringed by losing his clearance. His right to speak doesn’t depend on such a clearance anymore than does the right of any American who lacks security clearance. That’s first. In fact, a security clearance actually hampers one’s right to speak one’s mind or voice theories. Second, Brennan is not entitled to a security clearance. That’s a prerogative of the administration. It can be given; it can not be given. Third, being a power of the government that can be bestowed or not, Trump has the power to discriminate among recipients for reasons of state. Fourth, the First Amendment orders Congress not to make a law abridging the right of free speech; and it has not done so in the case of Brennan. Fifth, because he is known to have a security clearance, this adds weight to Brennan’s public statements. Because they are so antagonistic to Trump’s aims and policies, Trump has a strong reason to revoke that clearance so that he can get on with his program. The custom of allowing such clearances after leaving the government is predicated on comity and a sense of cooperation and tolerance, not on enmity.

Trump is trying to do many good things. He is right to criticize the media, because they’ve conducted a smear campaign against him from day one. He is right to look for peace with Russia. He is right to control the border. He is right to get China to behave.

The anti-Trump forces pose the most serious threat to this country imaginable. They insist on subverting his peace overtures to Russia, as by the latest sanctions. Trump is opposed by Democrats, most Republicans, and all sorts of leftists.

I have never in all my life seen such uncalled for attacks on a president as are coming from entertainers, from the media and from Washington bureaucrats. The critics seem unhinged, but they have an agenda to drive him from office and to reinstate their own very bad agenda.

There is a huge gap between what Trump is really trying to get done and what his critics say about him.

The dirt has been especially thick because elections are nearing.

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10:16 am on August 16, 2018