Brennan is a hack. Trump turned him into Spartacus

Many in the intelligence community have been quietly dismayed by the hyperbolic partisan behavior of former CIA director John Brennan since Donald Trump took office. But by revoking Brennan’s security clearance, President Trump has managed to turn Brennan from an embarrassment into a martyr.

The response to Trump’s action has been like the scene in the 1960 movie “Spartacus” when a Roman general announces to a group of rebel slaves they will be spared the punishment of crucifixion — but only if they turn in Spartacus, the leader of the revolt. One by one, the slaves stand up and shout, “I am Spartacus.”

As former CIA director Michael Hayden has pointed out, a similar scene is playing out today in the intelligence community. The first to yell “I am Spartacus” was retired Adm. William H. McRaven, former head of U.S. Joint Special Operations Command, who declared in a Post op-ed, “I would consider it an honor if you would revoke my security clearance as well, so I can add my name to the list of men and women who have spoken up against your presidency.”

Then 12 former CIA directors, CIA deputy directors and directors of national intelligence declared in a joint letter that they, too, were Spartacus. The number of signatories is now at 15.

They were soon joined by 60 former CIA officers, who signed a letter of their own and released it last week declaring they were Spartacus. “Our signatures below do not necessarily mean that we concur with the opinions expressed by former Director Brennan or the way in which he expressed them,” they wrote, but “the country will be weakened if there is a political litmus test applied before seasoned experts are allowed to share their views.” By Tuesday, the number of signatories had grown to 177 and included former senior officials from the State, Defense and Justice departments as well as the National Security Council and even NASA.

Note the pains the writers of both letters took to distance themselves from both the substance and style of Brennan’s attacks on Trump. Brennan’s conduct has been deeply controversial in intelligence circles. After the Justice Department fired former FBI deputy director Andrew McCabe (whom the inspector general determined had inappropriately authorized the disclosure of sensitive information and then misled investigators), Brennan lashed out at Trump, declaring on Twitter, “When the full extent of your venality, moral turpitude, and political corruption becomes known, you will take your rightful place as a disgraced demagogue in the dustbin of history.”

Even some former officials deeply concerned by Trump’s policies and behavior have been taken aback. James R. Clapper Jr., who worked for President Barack Obama alongside Brennan as director of national intelligence, recently complained, “John and his rhetoric have become an issue in and of itself.”

But revoking Brennan’s security clearance has not hurt Brennan. To the contrary, Trump has rescued Brennan from his own partisan hackery and given him an even greater platform from which to spew his bile. Indeed, the president admitted as much on Friday, saying, “If anything, I’m giving him a bigger voice.”

Yes, Mr. President, you are — and that is a big mistake.