According to The Washington Post the White House has already prepared more documents that provide for the revocation of the security clearances of many current and former government officials who have been publicly outspoken and critical of President Trump.
The report shows that Trump’s attacks on freedom of speech continue as he relishes the chance to show the world how great and powerful he is by silencing his critics. Although the officials involved may not be intimidated, the president’s actions are likely to have a chilling effect on free speech. They may cause many other people to hesitate before they speak their minds or say anything critical about the president.
The Post report says that Trump is prepared to sign “most, if not all†of the directives that have already been drafted by the White House legal office. It said that the target list includes “current and former officials whom President Trump has demanded be punished for criticizing him or playing a role in the investigation of Russian interference in the 2016 election, according to senior administration officials.â€
The report also said that White House communications staff, such as press secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders, have had discussions with new deputy chief of staff Bill Shine concerning when it is best to release the announcements.
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They reportedly are seeking ways to distract attention from negative media reports such as recordings released by Omarosa Manigault Newman as part of her book promotional tour.
President Trump several days ago revoked the security clearance of former CIA Director John Brennan, a frequent and vocal critic of the president.
The White House denied that the action against Brennan was in retaliation for his criticism of Trump, but everyone knows that is untrue. The revocation of Brennan’s security clearance has been widely criticized by many current and former intelligence officials from both Democratic and Republican administrations.
The announcement on Brennan’s security clearance came as the White House faced a barrage of negative media reports this week surrounding former aide Omarosa’s new tell-all book about her time in the administration.
Since Omarosa is not going away, and in fact is planning to release more audio and video recordings made while she worked in the White House, it is likely that the White House will continue to look for ways that the president can continue to distract the media.
According to the Post article:
“Some presidential aides echoed concerns raised by outside critics that the threatened revocations smack of a Nixonian enemies list, with little or no substantive national security justification. Particular worry has been expressed inside the White House about Trump’s statement Friday that he intends “very quickly†to strip the clearance of current Justice Department official Bruce Ohr, according to officials who spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss internal deliberations.”
With the attacks on Ohr, it appears that no Justice Department employee is safe from being fired by Trump. In his desperate attempts to consolidate power he is taking actions that are contrary to his oath of office. He is not protecting the Constitution of the United States. Rather, it seems that he is attacking it and trying to destroy it by acting like a dictator and taking away basic freedoms of Americans. Hopefully Congress will act to prevent him from harming our country further.
I am a lifelong Democrat with a passion for social justice and progressive issues. I have degrees in writing, economics and law from the University of Iowa.
