House Speaker Paul Ryan on Tuesday downplayed a threat by President Trump to revoke security clearances for a number intelligence officials who served under President Barack Obama as “trolling” and not a political act.
“I think he’s trolling people, honestly,” Ryan told reporters. “This is something that is in the purview of the executive branch.”
Ryan moved on quickly when asked whether it is dangerous for Trump to threaten people’s security clearances over politics. Democrats and Republicans have warned that revoking classified access over political dissent could have a chilling effect on the intelligence community.
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