The retired admiral who oversaw the Osama bin Laden raid made the unusual move Thursday of calling on President Trump to revoke his security clearance.
Adm. William McRaven said in an open letter to Mr. Trump published first by the Washington Post that he was demanding the revocation as an act of solidarity with former CIA Director John O. Brennan, who had his clearance stripped Wednesday.
Mr. Brennan “is a man of unparalleled integrity, whose honesty and character have never been in question, except by those who don’t know him,” Adm. McRaven wrote, going on to say that his demand wasn’t merely an act of personal loyalty to Mr. Brennan, but also a political statement.
“Therefore, I would consider it an honor if you would revoke my security clearance as well, so I can add my name to the list of men and women who have spoken up against your presidency,” he wrote.
When the White House made the Brennan announcement Wednesday, it also said it was looking at the clearances of nine other former Obama administration national-security officials, Adm. McRaven not among them.
Adm. McRaven, who commanded U.S. Joint Special Operations Command from 2011 to 2014, went on to attack Mr. Trump as a poor leader.
“A good leader tries to embody the best qualities of his or her organization. A good leader sets the example for others to follow. A good leader always puts the welfare of others before himself or herself. Your leadership, however, has shown little of these qualities. Through your actions, you have embarrassed us in the eyes of our children, humiliated us on the world stage and, worst of all, divided us as a nation,” he wrote.
• Victor Morton can be reached at vmorton@washingtontimes.com.
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