Follow the White House press briefing

By Veronica Rocha, Meg Wagner and Brian Ries, CNN

Updated 7:48 p.m. ET, August 15, 2018
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4:48 p.m. ET, August 15, 2018

John Brennan: Trump's actions are "part of a broader effort" to suppress freedom of speech and punish critics

Former CIA Director John Brennan just responded on Twitter to the announcement that President Trump had stripped him of his security clearance, saying the President is trying to suppress freedom of speech and punish critics.

"It should gravely worry all Americans, including intelligence professionals, about the cost of speaking out," he tweeted.

Read his full tweet:

4:38 p.m. ET, August 15, 2018

These 4 possible Trump targets won't comment

Sally Yates
Sally Yates

White House press secretary Sarah Sanders today named nine former US officials, whose security clearances were being scrutinized by President Trump.

She said Trump was looking at stripping their security clearances, and announced that the President had also revoked former CIA Director John Brennan's clearances.

Four of those officials — Susan Rice, former United States national security advisor; Sally Yates, former US deputy attorney general; Lisa Page, former lawyer for the FBI; and Bruce Ohr, former associate deputy attorney general — declined to comment on Sanders' announcement.

Sanders also named:

  • James Clapper, former director of National Intelligence
  • James Comey, former FBI director
  • Michael Hayden, former director of the National Security Agency
  • Andrew McCabe, former deputy director of the FBI
  • Peter Strzok, former FBI agent
3:25 p.m. ET, August 15, 2018

Michael Hayden: Trump's threat "will have no impact on what I think, say or write"

From CNN's Jenna McLaughlin

Former NSA and CIA Director Michael Hayden, a CNN national security analyst, responds to news President Trump is considering revoking his security clearance: 

If I were to lose my clearance, it would have a marginal impact on the work I do. For example I am on the proxy board of an American subsidiary of an Irish company to ensure that in doing its work it respects the classification rules of the United States. 
If my memory is correct, I visited the agency once to get a background briefing on Africa about nine years ago. All my other visits were either to attend a ceremony, at the request of the agency or to research my book (every word of which had to be cleared by CIA and NSA).
With regard to the implied threat today that I could lose my clearance, that will have no impact on what I think, say or write.
3:29 p.m. ET, August 15, 2018

What you need to know about ex-CIA chief John Brennan

White House press secretary Sarah Sanders just announced that former CIA director John Brennan’s security clearance has been revoked.

Here's what you need to know about him:

  • He had a long career with the CIA: Brennan was sworn in as CIA director in March 2013. He started his career with the agency in 1980, as a trainee with the CIA's Directorate of Operations. (He left the CIA in 2004 and worked for the National Counterterrorism Center, The Analysis Corporation and for President Barack Obama before being named CIA director.)
  • His time in office was not without controversy: In 2014, Sen. Dianne Feinstein claimed the CIA secretly monitored the computers of congressional staffers while they were conducting an internal review of the spy agency's detention program. Brennan later apologized to the Senate Intelligence Committee, and acknowledged that the CIA did, in fact, look at their computers.
  • He was critical of President-elect Trump: In January 2017, he told Fox News that he didn't think Trump had "a full appreciation of Russian capabilities." Those remarks came after Trump rejected intelligence agencies' reports of claims that Russia has compromising information on the President-elect.
  • He left office in January 2017: It happened as President Trump was taking office.
3:32 p.m. ET, August 15, 2018

James Clapper reacts to news Trump considering revoking former officials' security clearances

Former Director of National Intelligence James Clapper just called into CNN to react to the news that President Trump had revoked former CIA chief John Brennan's security clearance -- and he may lose his soon, too.

He said that while he hasn't had any access to current intelligence since leaving the government in January 2017, he has consulted with certain senior members of the current administration. He said he wouldn't name them "for their own protection."

But as for the implications of Trump's act, Clapper said it was more of a First Amendment issue than anything else:

"So will the republic stand or fall on whether John [Brennan] retains his access to classified information, or mine or any others that were named? Of course not. The larger issue here, to me, throughout has been an infringement of First Amendment rights. And I think people ought to think seriously about that."

2:57 p.m. ET, August 15, 2018

Top intel official Dan Coats was not consulted on revoking Brennan's clearance, official says

From CNN's Jim Sciutto

Director of National Intelligence Dan Coats was not consulted on revoking the clearance of former CIA Director John Brennan, an official with knowledge said.

Moments ago: White House press secretary Sarah Sanders defended the decision to revoke Brennan's security clearance as one aimed at fulfilling the President's "constitutional responsibility to protect classified information."

She added: "The President has a constitutional responsibility to protect classified information and who has access to it and that's what he's doing is fulfilling this responsibility."

5:14 p.m. ET, August 15, 2018

Andrew McCabe's lawyer: "This has zero to do with national security"

White House press secretary Sarah Sanders just read off a list of former officials President Trump is considering revoking security clearances for.

On that list was Andrew McCabe, the former deputy director of the FBI.

McCabe's lawyer just responded on Twitter.

"This has zero to do with national security. This is an Official Enemies List," he tweeted.

Here's the full tweet:

What McCabe's spokesperson said about his security clearance

On July 23, Melissa Schwartz, a strategic and crisis communications consultant, said McCabe's security clearance was already deactivated when he was terminated.

McCabe's clearance was revoked "according to what we were told was FBI policy," she tweeted.

2:55 p.m. ET, August 15, 2018

White House insists tariffs impacting Turkey are unrelated to jailed pastor

From CNN's Jeremy Diamond

White House press secretary Sarah Sanders insisted Wednesday that the increase in steel and aluminum tariffs impacting Turkey are not linked to the continued imprisonment of Pastor Andrew Brunson.

But when pressed to explain what has changed to impact the national security rationale for the tariffs in the last month, Sanders had nothing new to offer.

"The President's been clear about the steel and aluminum industries. Those are industries that must be protected," Sanders said.

She offered no new information to justify an increase in the tariffs with regard to Turkey.

But that's not what Vice President Mike Pence has said: Speaking to Fox News on July 29th, Pence said, "The United States of America is prepared to bring sanctions against Turkey until Pastor Andrew Brunson is free."

2:51 p.m. ET, August 15, 2018

Sarah Sanders says she "not aware" of any recent conversations between Trump and Manafort

From CNN's Betsy Klein

White House press secretary Sarah Sanders was just asked whether President Trump has recently spoken with his former campaign manager Paul Manafort.

She said she was “not aware of any recent conversations that they’ve had.”

Pressed on whether the President believes he is still being treated unfairly, as he said in June, Sanders said that Trump has “made that clear in his previous comments.”

Why this matters: Manafort is charged with 18 counts of tax and banking crimes, and has pleaded not guilty to all charges. His criminal case is currently on trial in Virginia.