Poll: Majority of Americans Think Brennan, Comey Should Lose Security Clearances
The majority of respondents to a Harvard CAPS/Harris poll released on Monday said that former CIA Director John Brennan and former FBI Director James Comey should in fact lose their security clearances.
The poll, released first to The Hill, shows that 59 percent of registered voters agree that Brennan’s security clearance should have been revoked, while 64 percent say Comey’s should also be revoked.
Along with Comey, the majority feel that any other FBI official who has been fired for his/her actions or has been demoted in anyway should lose his/hers as well.
Further, the majority of respondents, 60 percent, say that they believe any former national security official who chooses to become a consultant or TV contributor after his/her time in government, should have his/her clearance revoked.
“An overwhelming majority of the public thinks that former officials should lose their security clearance, and believe that former officials like Brennan and Comey should no longer have any clearance,” Mark Penn, co-director of Harvard CAPS/Harris Poll, told The Hill.
Comey was fired by President Donald Trump in May 2017, and since then has vocally criticized the president, most notably on Twitter and in his book “A Higher Loyalty.”
Trump revoked Brennan’s clearance on Aug. 15 in a statement read at a press conference by Press Secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders.
Trump questioned Brennan’s credibility and said his behavior was erratic and unprofessional, but critics feel the president revoked the clearance because Brennan has been highly critical of Trump and his character.
Brennan’s Twitter shows a nearly obsessive amount of tweets attacking Trump, and he’s done the same on major cable stations such as NBC and MSNBC.
Comey tweeted his comment to Trump revoking Brenna’s clearance, saying Trump “lies to the American people everyday, encourages racism, and is a misogynist” among other things.
— James Comey (@Comey) August 16, 2018
Brennan responded to Trump’s statement, saying all Americans should be worried about his actions, and that he will “not relent” in his fight against the president.
The Harvard CAPS/Harris Poll is an online survey completed by 1,330 registered voters.
The partisan breakdown was 37 percent Democrat, 32 percent Republican, 29 percent independent and 2 percent other.
It was conducted on Aug. 22-23.
Trump has also said he is reviewing the security clearances of several other White House officials of several past presidencies, including Comey, James Clapper, Michael Hayden, Sally Yates, Susan Rice, Andrew McCabe, Peter Strzok, Lisa Page and Bruce Ohr.
A version of this article appeared on The Daily Caller News Foundation website.
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