Twitter Goes Off Over WH Potentially Revoking Clearances: ‘Threat of Political Retribution’

President Donald Trump is considering revoking the security clearances of former intel chiefs and others, and Twitter flipped out:

“Monetized their public service”?
The most corrupt White House in modern history is accusing someone else of monetizing public service? ???
Where do I begin? https://t.co/7TJzCnTbrm

— Joe Scarborough (@JoeNBC) July 23, 2018

That sound you just heard is thousands of lawyers all reaching for their phones at the same time to call former senior national security officials to represent them if and when the President tries to strip them of their security clearances.

— Benjamin Wittes (@benjaminwittes) July 23, 2018

The national security officials who run this process will have to decide whether they can live with themselves if they go along with this extraordinary threat of political retribution. The president can probably pull the clearances of anybody he wants. https://t.co/ZIcvqLKDDb

— Ken Dilanian (@KenDilanianNBC) July 23, 2018

What steps have Jared and Ivanka Trump taken to ensure they are not profiting from their WH jobs and security clearances? Just asking.

— Amanda Carpenter (@amandacarpenter) July 23, 2018

And, she said, "making baseless accusations of improper relationship with Russia is inappropriate."

Nation's most prominent birther does not like baseless accusations. https://t.co/gVskQQmcRf

— Jake Tapper (@jaketapper) July 23, 2018

pssst. they probably haven't "looked into it" too closely, since Comey and McCabe haven't had a clearance for months. https://t.co/G4nFPMOo9Y

— Devlin Barrett (@DevlinBarrett) July 23, 2018

I wonder how Mike Pompeo, John Bolton, H.R. McMaster, James Mattis, Dan Coats, and John Kelly feel about security clearances of formers possibly being revoked.

— Daniel W. Drezner (@dandrezner) July 23, 2018

White House makes it clear: If you criticize Trump you lose your security clearance

— Sam Stein (@samstein) July 23, 2018

Monetizing security clearance! Heaven’s to Betsy!

— Chris Hayes (@chrislhayes) July 23, 2018

Worth remembering that Michael Flynn maintained his security clearance during the Obama administration, even after he lead "Lock Her Up" chants at Trump campaign events.

— Kaitlan Collins (@kaitlancollins) July 23, 2018

The same WH that let a senior staffer credibly accused of domestic abuse keep his clearance now wants to use them as a tool to retaliate against critics. https://t.co/D7rhyunvBo

— Matthew Miller (@matthewamiller) July 23, 2018

"I will make a big show of 'taking away' the security clearances of my enemies and critics. That way, when they make statements about Russian interference, I can proclaim that they don't know what they are talking about because they have not seen the most recent intelligence." pic.twitter.com/HLXUjT58F7

— Asha Rangappa (@AshaRangappa_) July 23, 2018

The security clearances “provide inappropriate legitimacy” to baseless allegations, says WH.

So repeating allegations (like say, that Trump Tower was “bugged”) that Trump believes would still be ok?

This does not seem well thought out. Difficult to see it going well for WH. https://t.co/hx5mtjo4vI

— Christina Wilkie (@christinawilkie) July 23, 2018

One person on the White House’s side here is Senator Rand Paul, who pitched the idea in the first place:

Just got out of WH meeting with @realDonaldTrump. I restated to him what I have said in public: John Brennan and others partisans should have their security clearances revoked.

— Senator Rand Paul (@RandPaul) July 23, 2018

Public officials should not use their security clearances to leverage speaking fees or network talking head fees

— Senator Rand Paul (@RandPaul) July 23, 2018

[image via Olivier Douliery-Pool / Getty Images]

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Follow Josh Feldman on Twitter: @feldmaniac

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