The White House has threatened to strip six former officials of their security clearances as President Donald Trump considers striking back at critics of his meeting with Russia President Vladimir Putin.
White House spokeswoman Sarah Sanders said Trump's administration is also considering taking away the security clearances of former FBI Director James Comey, a vocal critic fired by Trump last year.
Former Director of National Intelligence James Clapper, former National Security Agency Director Michael Hayden, former White House national security adviser Susan Rice and former FBI Deputy Director Andrew McCabe could also lose their clearances, Sanders said.
File photo of former National Intelligence Director James Clapper. Source: AAP
After Trump gave credence to Putin's denials about Russian meddling in the 2016 election despite findings by the American intelligence community, Brennan called Trump's remarks "nothing short of treasonous." On Twitter he added, "Not only were Trump's comments imbecilic, he is wholly in the pocket of Putin."
"Accusing the president of the United States of treasonous activity ... when you're the person that holds the nation's deepest, most sacred secrets at your hands and you go out and you make false accusations against the president of the United States, he thinks that is something to be very concerned with. And we're exploring what those options are and what that looks like," Sanders said.
Asked if Trump was punishing the former officials because of their criticism, Sanders said, "No, I think you are creating your own story there."
Clapper called the possibility of stripping the security clearances "just a very, very petty thing to do."
"He can suspend or revoke clearances as he sees fit, and if he chooses to do it for political reasons, well I think that's a terrible precedent," Clapper said on CNN. "And it's a very sad commentary. And it's an abuse of the system."
Many former US officials retain their security clearances after they leave government service because they continue to advise their former agencies or because it is a condition of employment as government contractors or consultants.
