Hoping to undermine the Trump-Russia investigation, Donald Trump has fired another shot at the US national security establishment, revoking the security clearance of former CIA Director John Brennan and threatening to withdraw the clearances of other current and former high-level officials.

Trump sent Press Secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders to the podium to read a statement pronouncing Brennan’s “erratic” behavior and “increasingly frenzied commentary…to make a series of unfounded and outrageous allegations”. Trump did not consult his national security staff, including Director of National Intelligence Dan Coats, before the order to Sanders.

The standard procedure for revoking a security clearance is initiated by the sponsoring agency and includes memos outlining why a clearance is being withdrawn and, in some cases, an opportunity for the current or former official to offer a defense or rebuttal.

See also Podcast: Trump’s Spite and Worry as He Takes Clearance from Ex-CIA Director Brennan

There was no suggestion in Trump’s statement that Brennan had threatened national security with leaks of classified information. Instead, the withdrawal was prompted by the former official’s criticism of Trump’s leadership — to the point where Brennan warned of Trump’s “treachery” in his summit with Russian leader Vladimir Putin last month.

Speaking to the Wall Street Journal, Trump cited the Russia inquiry, which is continuing to close on him, as the motive: “I call it the rigged witch hunt. And these people led it! So I think it’s something that had to be done.” He tried to reject the accusation of political motives by insisting that he “would put a Republican on [the list], too, if I thought they were incompetent or crazy”.

The list of the other officials under threat bears out Trump’s explanation. All have been involved with the investigation, and most have warned of Trump’s possible complicity.

They include former FBI director James Comey, fired by Trump in May 2017 in an attempt to quash the inquiry; former FBI Deputy Director Andrew McCabe; former FBI senior agent Peter Strzok; former Acting Attorney General Sally Yates; former National Security Agency head Michael Hayden; former National Security Advisor Susan Rice; former Director of National Intelligence James Clapper; and Bruce Ohr, a lawyer in the Justice Department’s criminal division.

A Diversion from Racism?

Wednesday’s announcement may also have been an attempt to divert attention from Trump and racism, following a series of revelations by former White House staffer Omarosa Manigault Newman.

Trump’s statement was dated July 26, three days after Press Secretary Sanders said he was considering the revocation of clearances.

The White House later removed the date from the statement, saying it was a cut-and-paste error.

Manigault Newman, who was fired last December by White House Chief of Staff John Kelly, has been promoting her forthcoming book with assertions of Trump’s incompetence, lack of intelligence, and racist behavior. One of the tapes which she has released features White House officials apparently discussing how to deal with Trump’s use of the N-word.

While Trump’s supporters are challenging the credibility of Manigault Newman — whom Trump met when she was a contestant on his reality TV show The Apprentice — her assertions are drawing attention to Trump’s statements and actions excusing and possibly endorsing white supremacy; insulting African Americans; deriding immigrants as “animals” and “vermin”; castigating African and Caribbean countries as “shitholes”; and barring Muslims from entering the US.

See VideoCasts: Trump’s Polls, the Russia Investigation, & His Racism Problem

A summary from France 24, with a contribution from EA:

“Suppressing Freedom of Speech, Punishing Critics”

Brennan’s public challenge to Trump began soon after the former official joined Twitter in December 2017, as he wrote that “@realDonaldTrump expects blind loyalty and subservience from everyone — qualities usually found in narcissistic, vengeful autocrats”.

Shortly after Trump’s statement was issued, Brennan responded in a televised interview and on Twitter:

On Tuesday, the former CIA Director wrote after Trump’s tweet calling Manigault Newman a “dog”: “It’s astounding how often you fail to live up to minimum standards of decency, civility, & probity. Seems like you will never understand what it means to be president, nor what it takes to be a good, decent, & honest person. So disheartening, so dangerous for our Nation.”

Other former officials threatened by Trump were not dissuaded from reacting. Former NSA head Hayden said Trump had degraded “the dignity of the office” of the President.

Leading Democratic legislators also challenged Trump’s personal move. Adam Schiff, the ranking Democrat on the House Intelligence Committee, said, “An enemies list is ugly, undemocratic and un-American. I also believe this action to silence a critic is unlawful.”

James Comey issued a statement via Twitter:

And Eric Holder, Attorney General under President Barack Obama, summarized: