Donald Trump Tuesday morning ripped what he called a ‘fake news’ report that suggested the President had considered denying Barack Obama access to national intelligence briefings.
The courtesy of allowing access, an important one that keeps all living predecessors to the presidency informed, was never revoked, but more importantly, the President claims, it was never even discussed.
According to a report in the New Yorker, in which revocation of former CIA Director John Brennan’s security clearance was discussed, a small blurb mentioned the possible snub of Obama.
Allegedly, it was in response to the controversy surrounding whether or not the Obama administration had tapped Trump’s phones.
“As Trump stepped up his public and private attacks on Obama, some of the new President’s advisers thought that he should take the extraordinary step of denying Obama himself access to intelligence briefings that were made available to all of his living predecessors,” the report reads.
What a petty bully the Cheeto is! https://t.co/lRCNvqujsN
— Crooks and Liars (@crooksandliars) August 21, 2018
Only when then-National Security Adviser H. R. McMaster stepped in did Trump supposedly relent on the plan.
“Trump was told about the importance of keeping former Presidents, who frequently met with foreign leaders, informed,” author Adam Entous wrote. “In the end, Trump decided not to exclude Obama, at the urging of McMaster.”
The President took to social media to vehemently deny any such insinuation that he once considered stripping Obama’s access to national secrets.
“Never discussed or thought of!” Trump insisted, calling the claim “falsely reported.”
Fake News, of which there is soooo much (this time the very tired New Yorker) falsely reported that I was going to take the extraordinary step of denying Intelligence Briefings to President Obama. Never discussed or thought of!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) August 21, 2018
Ever since Brennan’s security clearance was revoked, Trump has been wielding the threat at numerous other Obama-era lackeys, including James Clapper and former Intelligence Official Phillip Mudd.
He taunted Clapper by saying his clearance could be revoked for the crime of lying to Congress.
“Even James Clapper has admonished John Brennan for having gone totally off the rails,” the President wrote. “Maybe Clapper is being nice to me so he doesn’t lose his Security Clearance for lying to Congress!”
He also went after Mudd following his unhinged rant in which the now-CNN panelist berated a black Trump supporter and ordered him off the set when he dared to confront him with facts.
“Twenty-five years in the service and this is the s**t I get?” Mudd exclaimed at a factually-armed Dennard. “Get out!”
Just watched former Intelligence Official Phillip Mudd become totally unglued and weird while debating wonderful @PARISDENNARD over Brennan’s Security Clearance. Dennard destroyed him but Mudd is in no mental condition to have such a Clearance. Should be REVOKED? @seanhannity
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) August 21, 2018
One element of the New Yorker report wasn’t dismissed by the President, and that is the allegation that he and his advisers had been eyeing security clearances of his political enemies.
McMaster also nixed that the report says, issuing a memo “extending the clearances of his predecessors at the N.S.C., Republicans and Democrats alike.”
Brennan is now claiming he will file suit for having his clearance revoked, something the President and his team welcome.
“I hope John Brennan, the worst CIA Director in our country’s history, brings a lawsuit,” Trump announced. “It will then be very easy to get all of his records, texts, emails, and documents to show not only the poor job he did but how he was involved with the Mueller Rigged Witch Hunt.”
Trump’s critics have suggested his newfound threat to revoke security clearances is an egregious abuse of power and authority.
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Is it, or is he properly wielding that power to weed out corruption from Obama-era leftovers in government?
