Image copyright Reuters Image caption John Brennan stepped down as CIA director in January 2017

Donald Trump has revoked the security clearance of ex-CIA chief John Brennan, denying the US president's critic any access to sensitive information. In a written statement read by press secretary Sarah Sanders on Wednesday, Trump said Brennan has engaged in "erratic" behavior and lodged unfair allegations; Brennan and his supporters said Trump's security review was politically motivated and designed to target his freedom of speech. More: President Trump considers revoking security clearances for former U.S. officials

More: Security clearances: Yes, President Trump can yank them, and other things to know

Clapper, in an interview on CNN, said he would continue to speak out even if he loses his security clearance. KELLY: John Brennan is not the - he's the only one who President Trump has yanked the clearance from today. In a speech from the Senate floor, Paul said, “My goodness, we now have the former head of the CIA, John Brennan, galavanting across TV, now being paid for his opinion, to call the president treasonous.”

“This is crazy partisanship that is driving this.”

In addition to Brennan, according to The Hill, Sanders announced that Trump is reviewing security clearances for former Director of National Intelligence James Clapper, former FBI Director James Comey, former National Security Administration Director Michael Hayden, and former Deputy Attorney General Sally Yates, among others. Media playback is unsupported on your device Media caption Sarah Sanders read President Trump's statement which cited John Brennan's "erratic conduct and behaviour"

"As the head of the executive branch and commander-in-chief, I have a unique constitutional responsibility to protect the nation's classified information, including by controlling access to it. TRENDING: Bill O’Reilly Takes Strong Stance on NFL Anthem Controversy: ‘Don’t Like it, Go to Canada’

“First, at this point in my administration, any benefits that senior officials might glean from consultations with Brennan are now outweighed by the risks posed by his erratic conduct and behavior,” he said.
Amid controversy, the Trump Administration of the United States revokes the security clearance of former CIA chief John Brennan.