Security moves ‘retaliation’

President Donald Trump plans to revoke the security clearances of a handful of former officials who have been critical of his rhetoric and actions toward Russia, the White House announced yesterday, in a move that immediately prompted claims of political retaliation.

White House press secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders said the officials being examined are former CIA director John Brennan; former FBI director James Comey; former CIA director Michael Hayden; former national security adviser Susan Rice; former director of national intelligence James Clapper Jr.; and former FBI deputy director Andrew McCabe.

‘‘The president is exploring these mechanisms to remove security clearances because they’ve politicised and, in some cases, actually monetised their public service and their security clearances in making baseless accusations of improper contact with Russia or being influenced by Russia,’’ Sanders told reporters at a regular press briefing.

Democrats immediately criticised the move as an attempt to punish former officials for levelling criticism at Trump.

‘‘This is what totalitarianism looks like,’’ Senator Mazie Hirono, D-Hawaii, said in a tweet.

At least two of the officials – Comey and McCabe – do not currently have clearances.

Comey hasn’t had a security clearance for many months, according to a person familiar with the matter.

McCabe’s clearance was deactivated when he was fired from the FBI, said Melissa Schwartz, a spokeswoman for McCabe. She said McCabe’s lawyers were told that was according to FBI policy.

‘‘You would think the White House would check with the FBI before trying to throw shiny objects to the press corps,’’ she wrote on Twitter.

Clapper, a career intelligence officer who last served as the Director of National Intelligence in the Obama administration, described the move by the White House as ‘‘unprecedented’’ and ‘‘petty’’. Clapper said there were no grounds for dismissing his clearance and that the White House’s actions were directed solely at ‘‘people who have criticised the president’’. He said no one from the White House has contacted him about the matter, which he learned about during Sanders’ remarks.

Clapper also said he could not think of an instance in which a president revoked a security clearance. - Washington Post

‘‘This is what totalitarianism looks like.’’

Senator Mazie Hirono, D-Hawaii