Former CIA Director Michael Hayden says that he would be honored if President Trump revoked his security clearance.
During an appearance on CNN’s “State of the Union” on Sunday, Hayden said he “would consider it an honor” if the president also took away his security clearance “so I can add my name to the list of men and women who have spoken up against your presidency.”
{mosads}Hayden’s remark came days after the president’s decision to pull former CIA Director John Brennan’s security clearance. The move was widely regarded as an attempt to retaliate against a vocal critic of the administration and was met with considerable backlash from former top intelligence officials.
Hayden has also been a harsh critic of Trump.
“Frankly, if his not revoking my clearance gave the impression that I somehow moved my commentary in a direction more acceptable to the White House,” Hayden said, “I would find that very disappointing and frankly unacceptable.”
Hayden, who also served as director of the National Security Agency during George W. Bush’s presidency, was one of the many former top intelligence officials whose security clearances Trump has said he would consider revoking. That list includes many outspoken critics of the administration, including former FBI Director James Comey, former Deputy Attorney General Sally Yates and former FBI Deputy Director Andrew McCabe.
Days after Trump revoked Brennan’s security clearance, a dozen former officials, including former CIA chiefs William Webster, George Tenet and Porter Goss, declared in a statement supporting Brennan that “security clearances should be based on national security concerns and not political views.”
The statement was also signed by former Director of National Intelligence James Clapper, former CIA Deputy Director John McLaughlin and former CIA Deputy Director David Cohen, among other former top intelligence officials.
“John’s situation is a proximate cause for all of us signing letters and protesting,” Hayden added. “I think it’s kind of one additional straw that’s breaking the camel’s back. Our complaint is not just about this. It’s about the whole tone, tenor, and behavior of the administration.”
On Monday, more than 150 former officials signed a statement opposing Trump’s decision to yank Brennan’s security clearance.
The former officials said they do not necessarily agree with the Brennan’s criticism of Trump or “the way in which he expressed them,” but argued the country will be “weakened if there is a political litmus test applied before seasoned experts are allowed to share their views.”