A retired Navy four-star Admiral who oversaw the SEAL Team Six raid that killed Osama bin Laden has a few words for President Donald Trump, in response to the president personally revoking the security clearance of John Brennan on Wednesday.
“Former CIA director John Brennan, whose security clearance you revoked on Wednesday, is one of the finest public servants I have ever known,” writes William H. McRaven in a Washington Post op-ed Thursday afternoon. Few Americans have done more to protect this country than John. He is a man of unparalleled integrity, whose honesty and character have never been in question, except by those who don’t know him.”
McRaven gave 37 years of his life to the Navy before retiring in 2014 with the honor of being the longest serving Navy SEAL to still be on duty.
“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,” McRaven continues.
Admiral McRaven also served as the first director of the NATO Special Operations Forces Coordination Centre (NSCC), and ninth commander of the United States Special Operations Command, and just retired as chancellor of the University of Texas System.
“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,” the Admiral continues. “If you think for a moment that your McCarthy-era tactics will suppress the voices of criticism, you are sadly mistaken.”
The Post includes this short clip of McRaven calling Trump’s attack on the free press as “the enemy of the American people,” possibly “the greatest threat to democracy” in his lifetime.
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Image by NDU Audio Visual via Flickr and a CC license