John Brennan Fires Back: Trump Behaving Like ‘Despots and Autocrats’
On Wednesday, former CIA director John Brennan spoke out on MSNBC shortly after learning the White House had revoked his security clearance.
Just before going on the air, Brennan tweet out this message: “This action is part of a broader effort by Mr. Trump to suppress freedom of speech & punish critics. It should gravely worry all Americans, including intelligence professionals, about the cost of speaking out. My principles are worth far more than clearances. I will not relent.”
Then, speaking with Nicolle Wallace Wednesday afternoon, Brennan expanded on Trump’s efforts to “intimidate and suppress.”
“I do believe that Mr. Trump decided to take this action, as he’s done with others, to try to intimidate and suppress any criticism of him or his administration. And revoking my security clearances is his way of trying to get back at me,” Brennan said.
He continued on: “But I think I have tried to voice the concerns of millions of Americans about Mr. Trump’s failures in terms of fulfilling the responsibilities of that sacred and solemn office of the presidency. And this is not going to deter me at all.”
Further, when asked by Wallace what he thinks Trump is afraid of, Brennan said this making it clear he feels Trump “fears individuals” who could damage him:
“Well, I think he is concerned about the criticisms that I’m voicing publicly. I think he hears those types of criticisms. I think he fears individuals who could damage him, could damage his standing among the American people. Look at the way he’s been referring to Bob Mueller. Bob Mueller, who is a national treasure, an icon within the law enforcement and justice communities, who is doing his level best to investigate Russian interference in the election. And the denegration of Bob Mueller as well as his team of investigators is reprehensible, it really is. And so, I think when I speak out about some of his — what I think are flawed policies, now, we can all have policy disagreements and differences. That’s what makes this country great. But I must tell you that Mr. Trump’s dishonesty, his lack of integrity, his nastiness, mean spiritedness, the types of things that he has just tweeted out the past 72 hours, the terms that he uses, this is not what I think of an American president nor of America. We’re better than this. We have to be better than this. We have been a shining example to the world and Mr. Trump is letting this country down.”
He even said, “I’ve seen this type of behavior and actions on the part of foreign tyrants and despots and autocrats for many many years during my CIA and national security career. I never thought I would see it in the United States.”
Watch above, via MSNBC.
[image via screengrab]
