Donald Trump is exploring the possibility of removing security clearances from 6 former officials – former DNI James Clapper, former FBI director James Comey, former Obama national security adviser Susan Rice, former FBI Deputy Director Andrew McCabe, former Director of National Security Agency Michael Hayden – who have publicly criticized Trump for siding with Russia over the United States.
Said Press Secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders to reporter: “They've politicized and in some cases monetized their public service and security clearances. Making baseless accusations of improper contact with Russia, or being influenced by Russia, against the president is extremely inappropriate and the fact that people with security clearances are making these baseless charges provides inappropriate legitimacy to accusations with zero evidence.”
When a reporter accused Trump of politicizing matters of national security, Sanders replied: “No, I think you are creating your own story there. The president doesn't like the fact that people are politicizing agencies and departments that are specifically meant to not be political…The president's not making baseless accusations of contact with a foreign government…When you have the highest level of security clearance, when you're the person who 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‘s something to be very concerned with and we're exploring what those options are and what that looks like.”
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