Sen. Rand Paul (R-KY) said he believes the “deep state” defied President Trump’s order to revoke former CIA Director John Brennan’s security clearance.
Paul was asked by CNN why–according to a New York Times report–the White House never followed through with the president’s August 2018 request to revoke the former CIA Director’s security clearance.
“People talk about the deep state, now the deep state’s actually protecting their own and not listening to the President’s orders. I was sitting in the White House when President Trump said I want his security clearance taken and I saw the order given. I saw the chief of staff was there, not the current chief of staff, the previous chief of staff [John Kelly],” said Paul.
“If they are working against … the president that really does disrupt our country, does disrupt a representative democracy where the president makes a decision,” he continued.
“If someone is countermanding that, I think we need to get to the bottom of that and I hope President Trump will say ‘who is countermanding my orders? I said get rid of his clearance.”
Paul went on to slam the former CIA Director as a “partisan” who abused his power.
“I do think Brennan has been a partisan and I think Brennan also abused his office in developing the investigation. I think it was done under false pretenses and done for political reasons,” he said.
"People talk about the deep state, now the deep state's actually protecting their own," says Sen. @RandPaul on ex-CIA Dir. John Brennan keeping his security clearance.
"I was sitting in the White House when President Trump said I want his security clearance taken." pic.twitter.com/YcKRG26L1c
— CNN Newsroom (@CNNnewsroom) June 4, 2019
Hat tip: Washington Examiner
