John Brennan: Not Going to be Bullied by the Likes of Mr. Trump

[Louisa Bannon]

Maddow: President Trump Isn't Attacking Critics, He's Going After Witnesses


I Gave Trump A Year To Live Up To The Office. He Didn't.
"What really gets under my skin is Mr. Trump's lack of decency, integrity, honesty, and his lack of commitment to this country's well-being and national security."- John Brennan


So here's the thing, some of you must have thought it would be amusing to vote in the "Reality TV" President. And sure, Hillary Clinton is most certainly a "hold your nose" and vote type candidate - just like Obama before her. Everybody hates the Clinton's because they are status quo, hawkish jackasses. But Trump is actually more dangerous because he is both more unscrupulous, more self-interested, and just plain dumb. He is doing unprecedented things because he seems to think nobody will retaliate. But he is actively undermining the very people we have entrusted with our safety for literally decades. Maybe some of those people don't deserve our trust, or have occasionally overstepped the mark of what was proper. But at least such people did not bend over, drop their pants, and grease up for Russian criminals.

I seriously hope those of you that voted for Trump did it for a laugh, because if you voted for him because you believed in him...well, let's just say that your ignorance and inability to read someone is appalling.

We're in a strange moment of free fall right now. Caesar has crossed the Rubicon and everyone is momentarily astonished at the sheer bravado and lunacy of such a despicable act. But believe me, you cannot in any country in this whole wide world go after the intelligence community and not pay the price. Trump is so stupid he is literally forcing the hand of a coup d'etat. Hopefully, some congress critters will make some smart moves first that forestalls such an inevitability. We specifically need some GOP members to forget about the fucking polling numbers and go after this embarrassment we must call our president.

[Breccia]

There are one hundred seventy five former intelligence officials who agree with him.

[PACOX]

Did Trump just will the Deep State conspiracy into existence?

[Breccia]

Did Trump just will the Deep State conspiracy into existence?

Conspire: to join in a secret agreement to do an unlawful or wrongful act or an act which becomes unlawful as a result of the secret agreement

Nothing about this is secret. And the person doing what's possibly unlawful (Brennan might sue) is Trump, not Brennan, or the other hundred seventy plus signers.

So, no. No he didn't. The rabid fanbase might think there's a conspiracy, but only because they're as ill-educated on what "conspiracy" (and "collusion") means as they are about science, law, and facts.

[JohnBrown1917]

I still dont why ex government workers get to keep the security clearance.

[PACOX]

I still dont why ex government workers get to keep the security clearance.

Because you still need a clearance to work for contractors. If someone has already been cleared, which can be a very long and involved process, why make them go threw it again each time they switch jobs? It doesn't mean they can just go into x agency and start combing through classified information. It means they are allowed to handled classified data of the level they're cleared for if necessary/relevant.

- - - Updated - - -

Conspire: to join in a secret agreement to do an unlawful or wrongful act or an act which becomes unlawful as a result of the secret agreement

Nothing about this is secret. And the person doing what's possibly unlawful (Brennan might sue) is Trump, not Brennan, or the other hundred seventy plus signers.

So, no. No he didn't. The rabid fanbase might think there's a conspiracy, but only because they're as ill-educated on what "conspiracy" (and "collusion") means as they are about science, law, and facts.

Facetious.

[Edge-]

I still dont why ex government workers get to keep the security clearance.

Most don't. But high level officials do because on rare occasion they may be called in to advise on something and it's infinitely easier to simply have them maintain their clearance than need to redo the whole clearance process again. They're not really used outside of that from everything I've read, these folks don't get briefings etc. so they're apparently largely functionally useless outside of those rare instances.

[Breccia]

Facetious.

Oh I got that, the reply wasn't really for you. But, yeah, that wasn't very clear, was it? My bad.

[Rooflesstoofless]

I'm not following this whole thing too closely but I thought that Brennen guy was fired for basically shit talking on his boss and getting caught?

[Felya]

I'm not following this whole thing too closely but I thought that Brennen guy was fired for basically shit talking on his boss and getting caught?

That’s Bannon.

[Rooflesstoofless]

That’s Bannon.

But this John Brennan guy was fired, yes? Why would he retain his security clearance if so?

[Redwyrm]

Word is that Trump also wanted to remove Obama's security clearance (the same clearance every single living ex-President still has), but McMaster talked him out of it.

https://www.newyorker.com/news/news-...confront-trump

[Edge-]

But this John Brennan guy was fired, yes? Why would he retain his security clearance if so?

No, he retired. If he was fired he would have had his clearance automatically revoked, just like Comey and McCabe. Both of whom Trump wants to revoke non-existent security clearances from.

[Xeones]

Word is that Trump also wanted to remove Obama's security clearance (the same clearance every single living ex-President still has), but McMaster talked him out of it.

https://www.newyorker.com/news/news-...confront-trump

I actually would have really liked to see him do this. This is the sort of thing that no one would be able to justify.

[Louisa Bannon]

https://www.newyorker.com/news/news-...confront-trump[/QUOTE]

Wow, Brennan really unloads on Mr. Trump in that article.

[Kaleredar]

"What really gets under my skin is Mr. Trump's lack of decency, integrity, honesty, and his lack of commitment to this country's well-being and national security."

A shame that it's taken so many people this long to glean what anyone paying even a little bit of attention from the start would have already known.

Better late than never, I suppose.

[Rooflesstoofless]

No, he retired. If he was fired he would have had his clearance automatically revoked, just like Comey and McCabe. Both of whom Trump wants to revoke non-existent security clearances from.

Oh, I still don’t know what the big deal is. It isn’t a guaranteed thing to maintain security clearances afaik.

[Edge-]

Oh, I still don’t know what the big deal is. It isn’t a guaranteed thing to maintain security clearances afaik.

The big deal is this seems to be political retribution from Trump because Brennan has been highly critical of him. There isn't an actual valid reason beyond Trumps feelings being hurt.

The big deal is that this is not normal behavior of a president and it continues to portray Trump as a petty, thin-skinned wannabe authoritarian who punishes criticism and dissent. You know, kinda like, the opposite of what a US president should be.

[PACOX]

Oh, I still don’t know what the big deal is. It isn’t a guaranteed thing to maintain security clearances afaik.

Edge said it earlier but ex-high level officials often advise their replacements regardless of partisan politics. It's nearly impossible (and illegal) to do so if the advisor no longer has a clearance.

[Orbitus]

But this John Brennan guy was fired, yes? Why would he retain his security clearance if so?

No, he retired when Obama left office. And the only reason Trump is doing this is because Brennan is talking shit about Trump. Not because Brennan broke any laws and released any secure information.