WASHINGTON (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 16th August, 2018) US Democratic lawmakers issued a series of statements on Wednesday criticizing President Donald Trump's order to revoke former CIA Director John Brennan's security clearance.
California Congressman Adam Schiff� wrote in a Twitter post that the decision on Brennan shows Trump's insecurities and his revengeful character.
"In adding John Brennan to his enemies list, Trump demonstrates again how deeply insecure and vindictive he is," Schiff said, referring to the former official's unfavorable statements about Trump a day before the order.
Brennan said in an interview with MSNBC that Trump would never understand what it means to be the leader of the United States and called him the country's most divisive president.
Schiff said the Trump administration's attempts to gag a critic were not only unethical and un-American, but also illegal.
Congressman Frank Pallone said Trump's move endangers US national security and makes the president look more like a dictator than a leader of a democratic country.
"Trump is placing politics over our national security and [this] is an action expected of a dictator not an American President," Pallone wrote in a Twitter message.
Senator Mark Warner said the revocation of Brennan's security clearance could set a dangerous precedent. Moreover, Warner claimed that the action could have been an attempt by the White House to distract people from other news stories.
"This might be a convenient way to distract attention, say from a damaging news story or two," the senator wrote via Twitter.
White House Press Secretary Sarah Sanders told reporters that Brennan's clearance was taken away because of his erratic conduct and behavior.
In response, Senator Chris Van Hollen argued that the Trump administration was branding free speech as "erratic behavior," adding that Brennan has been bringing public attention to serious problems.
"Brennan has served our country with distinction and raised serious concerns about this Administrations policies," Van Hollen said in a statement.
Brennan served as the head of the Central Intelligence Agency from 2013 to 2017 under former US President Barack Obama.
