{"id":43924,"date":"2018-08-20T23:25:08","date_gmt":"2018-08-20T23:25:08","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/defensenews\/uncategorized\/2018\/08\/20\/why-americas-former-spy-chief-is-worried-about-trumps-security-clearance-policy\/"},"modified":"2026-08-07T23:40:42","modified_gmt":"2026-08-07T23:40:42","slug":"why-americas-former-spy-chief-is-worried-about-trumps-security-clearance-policy","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/defensenews\/industry\/2018\/08\/20\/why-americas-former-spy-chief-is-worried-about-trumps-security-clearance-policy\/","title":{"rendered":"Why America\u2019s former spy chief is worried about Trump\u2019s security clearance policy"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">If Michael Hayden, the former head of the National Security Agency and the CIA, is worried about having his security clearance revoked, he is doing a good job of hiding it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cIn terms of the personal impact that the loss of a clearance would have on me, it\u2019s almost zero,\u201d the retired general told Federal Times in an interview Aug. 20.<\/p>\n\n\n<aside class=\"smg-interstitial-link smg-interstitial-link--fallback wp-block-smg-interstitial-link\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.fifthdomain.com\/dod\/cybercom\/2018\/08\/20\/former-head-of-nsa-unsure-about-trumps-cyber-plan\/\" class=\"smg-interstitial-link__fallback-link\"> Former head of NSA unsure about Trump\u2019s cyber plan<\/a><\/aside>\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">But Hayden said that Trump\u2019s threat to revoke security clearances from outspoken critics is worrisome \u201cat the highest level\u201d because of the precedent it sets.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">&#8220;We should not pretend to ourselves that it is normal to deny something to a group of people that would be otherwise available to them except for their political speech,\u201d Hayden said.<\/p>\n\n\n\t<aside class=\"smg-interstitial-link wp-block-smg-interstitial-link\">\n\t\t<a href=\"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/federaltimes\/management\/leadership\/2018\/08\/19\/trump-warns-hell-revoke-clearance-of-justice-department-official\/\" class=\"smg-interstitial-link__inner\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"smg-interstitial-link__media\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"300\" height=\"157\" src=\"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/AP18229541281158.jpg.jpg?w=300\" class=\"smg-interstitial-link__image wp-post-image\" alt=\"\" \/>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"smg-interstitial-link__content\">\n\t\t\t\t<span class=\"smg-interstitial-link__kicker\">Related<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t<h3 class=\"smg-interstitial-link__title\">Trump warns he\u2019ll revoke clearance of Justice Department official<\/h3>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p class=\"smg-interstitial-link__excerpt\">President Donald Trump said Friday that he suspects he\u2019ll \u201cvery quickly\u201d revoke the security clearance for a Justice Department official whose wife worked for the firm involved in producing a dossier on Trump\u2019s ties to Russia.<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/a>\n\t<\/aside>\n\t\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Earlier in August, the White House said it revoked the security clearance of former CIA chief John Brennan, who is a frequent critic of the president and the Trump campaign\u2019s relationship with Russia. Hayden, who has also criticized Trump, is among <a href=\"https:\/\/www.whitehouse.gov\/briefings-statements\/press-briefing-press-secretary-sarah-sanders-081518\/\">nine current <\/a>and former American officials who are having their security clearances reviewed.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The White House referred Federal Times to an Aug. 15 statement from Trump, which argued that access to America\u2019s secrets should further national, and not personal, interests.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Hayden was among a group for former top intelligence officials who signed a letter saying they had never seen the approval or removal of security clearances be used as a political tool.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cThis action is quite clearly a signal to other former and current officials,\u201d the letter said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">When asked if the threats to revoke security clearances were causing concern inside the intelligence community, Hayden cited two more rounds of letters signed by 60 and 175 former officials.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cThe country will be weakened if there is a political litmus test applied before seasoned experts are allowed to share their views,\u201d <a href=\"https:\/\/drive.google.com\/file\/d\/1A6CaiLgUSmHjq6MMgIwCSVvBv67a_dYR\/view\" target=_blank>one<\/a> letter said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cIt\u2019s hard to imagine if the alumni association is getting so excited about this, than those still in school wouldn\u2019t be either,\u201d Hayden said. \u201cThey just can\u2019t say anything.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>President Trump threatening to remove security clearances of critics sets a bad precedent, former NSA and CIA chief Michael Hayden said in a one-on-one 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