Acting like 72-year-old President Donald Trump wants to retaliate against Obama’s “deep state,” the press insists that Trump’s endangering the public by cutting the security clearance of former Obama officials. Instead of fingering former CIA Director John Brennen, former FBI Director James Comey, former CIA Director Michael Hayden, former National Security Adviser Susan Rice, former Director of National Intelligence James Clapper and former acting FBO Director Andrew McCabe for leaking to the press, the press blames Trump for vindictiveness. Once former intel and national security officers use their security clearance to leak to the press, it’s time to cut their access to classified or Top Secret information. Once former officials enter the political fray, they no longer should use their security clearance to gain access to social puditry on the nation’s airwaves.

Trump believes that allowing former officials to have security clearance endangers the country by allowing officials to leak information to press, whether it’s current of not. Many of the New York Times and Washington Post investigative reports stem from former Obama administration officials leaking stories to the press anonymously. Most of the former officials don’t need their security clearances other than for credibility to market services on various network and cable news shows. White House Press Secretary Sarah Huckabee says these former Obama and Bush-43 officials “have publicized, and in some cases monetized” their security clearances for their own self-interest. When producers and editors seek to advance agendas in broadcast and print journalism, they seek experts to bolster political agendas. Former White House officials have producers and editors’ ears.

Trump contends many of the former Obama and Bush-43 officials have made a living leaking to the press, without any real facts. “Baseless accusations” made by former White House officials have been made with “zero evidence,” engaging in the kind of disinformation and propaganda seen in totalitarian, state-run news bureaus. Today’s media parrots back the unverified assertions of anonymous sources, attacking Trump’s foreign and domestic policy accomplishments. Sen. Rand Paul (R-Ky.), one of Trump past critics, asked Trump to revoke the security clearance of former CIA Director John Brennen. Brennen, former President Barack Obama’s CIA Director, has used his past credibility to disparage Trump. When Trump met in Helsinki for a summit with Russian President Vladimir Putin he called Trump’s actions “treasonous,” hyperbole and incendiary rhetoric.

Brennen’s statements were so outrageous, so off-the-wall, so misguided, it fully exposed his anti-Trump bias, using his position as former CIA Director to discredit Trump. While there’s noting wrong with Brennen expressing his political views, there’s something very wrong with using his former position to discredit the president. Paul wants Brennen’s security clearance pulled because he no longer needs it to perform his job as a Democratic political hack. “It was nothing short of treasonous,” Brennen said after Trump’s meeting with Putin. What he objected too is that Trump didn’t confront Putin openly about meddling in the 2016 election. Brennen was furious that Trump didn’t directly challenge Putin’s hacking of the Democratic National Committee and Hillary campaign officials. Paul wants Brennen’s security clearance yanked because he uses it to leak to the press.

When you look at Trump’s behavior in Helsinki, he was appropriately diplomatic, refusing to attack Putin on the world stage. Trump made it clear that he did raise the issue of Election Year meddling, telling Putin that it could not longer go on. Yet Brennen’s job as Democratic political hack requires him to attack Trump no matter what he says. Paul believes that former White House officials, like Brennen, have no right to continue receiving security clearances when their new job requires them to attack the president no matter what he does or says. “Won’t have any effect on what I say or writes,” said Hayden, admitting it doesn’t matter what he knows in his role as Trump media critic. Hayden’s 100% right that he doesn’t need his former security clearance to attack Trump on national TV because facts don’t matter, only the over-arching political agenda of discrediting the president.

Trump believes letting former national security officials use their security clearance to leak to the press and attack the White House harms U.S. national security. There’s zero reason for past officials to have classified information to sell their service to the media. “For political reasons, this is a petty way of retribution. I suppose, for speak out against the president, which I think on the part of all of us, are borne out of genuine concerns about President Trump,” Clapper said on CNN. Speaking on CNN, one of the most anti-Trump stations, tells the real story about Clapper and other security officials market their services to the anti-Trump media. Clapper can’t admit that he has the same political agenda as CNN, hoping to win back Congress in 2018. Paul gets it right saying that Brennen and other former Obama and Bush-43 officials don’t need security clearances to slam Trump.