USA TODAY International Edition
Trump to ex-CIA chief: Go ahead and sue me
WASHINGTON – Amping up their war of words, President Donald Trump on Monday essentially dared former CIA director John Brennan to sue him for revoking his national security clearance.
Calling him “the worst CIA Director in our country’s history,” Trump tweeted that he hopes Brennan files a lawsuit so that lawyers can “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. He won’t sue!”
Special counsel Robert Mueller is investigating Russian efforts to help Trump during the 2016 presidential election.
Brennan, who accused Trump of seeking to shut up critics about his relationship with Russia, said Sunday he has spoken with lawyers about the revocation of his clearance.
“I am going to do whatever I can personally to try to prevent these abuses in the future,” Brennan said on NBC’s “Meet the Press.” “And if it means going to court, I will, I will do that.”
Brennan has cited evidence that Trump colluded with Russians who sought to influence the 2016 election with stolen emails. He has accused the president of seeking to obstruct the investigation into Russia, and he ripped Trump’s appearance last month with Russian President Vladimir Putin.
“I called his behavior treasonous, which is to betray one’s trust and to aid and abet the enemy, and I stand very much by that claim of his actions,” Brennan told NBC.
Trump, who has denied collision and obstruction, said he is considering yanking security clearances of other Barack Obama-era officials he says have made false statements about him and Russia.
In another tweet, Trump said people want to keep clearances because they can be hired as consultants, and the courtesy means “great prestige and big dollars, even board seats.” He said “that is why certain people are coming forward to protect Brennan. It certainly isn’t because of the good job he did! He is a political ‘hack.’ ”
More than 175 former national security officials, from other ex-CIA directors to former ambassadors, have signed onto a statement protesting Trump’s actions regarding Brennan.