Admiral McRaven To Trump: Revoke My Security Clearance Too

AUSTIN, TX — University of Texas Chancellor William McRaven — the former commander of the Joint Special Operations Command who led Navy Seals in the killing of Osama bin Laden — has publicly asked Donald Trump to revoke his security clearance as well if the action is contingent on criticism of the president.

In a move that is both a preemptive strike and personal statement, the retired Navy admiral made the request in the form of an editorial that ran Thursday in various publications. The move comes in the wake of Trump's revoking this week of the security clearance of former CIA Director John Brennan, a vocal critic of the Trump administration.

"Former CIA director John Brennan, whose security clearance you revoked on Wednesday, is one of the finest public servants I have ever known," McRaven wrote in the editorial, which ran in the Texas Tribune among other publications. "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."

Then, McRaven squarely hits the mark: "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. "Like most Americans, I had hoped that when you became president, you would rise to the occasion and become the leader this great nation needs."

Related story: UT System Chancellor Bill McRaven Stepping Down

After listing some personal attributes a leader should possess — among them setting the example for others and putting the welfare of others before his own — McRaven voluntarily requests his own security clearance revocation given what he views as an absence of such leadership qualities in the oval office.

"Your leadership, however, has shown little of these qualities," McRaven wrote. "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. If you think for a moment that your McCarthy-era tactics will suppress the voices of criticism, you are sadly mistaken. The criticism will continue until you become the leader we prayed you would be."

The White House has not responded to the editorial, nor is it clear if McRaven's security clearance has been revoked as a result. While Trump has, through his spokeswoman, cited national security concerns as the reason for Brennan's clearance revocation, critics view the move as an effort to silence critics. In a statement announcing the step, Trump cited several other critics whose clearance could potentially be revoked — a list that includes former FBI Chief James Comey who Trump fired when he refused to drop the probe into the president's Russian connections.

Since his firing, Comey has become a prominent critic of the Trump administration in general and the president in particular. Many have viewed Trump's list of those whose clearance might be cut as a thinly veiled threat and evidence of an effort to silence critics.

McRaven was appointed chancellor of the University of Texas System on July 29, 2014. In December, he announced he was stepping down from the role by October of this year, citing health reasons. McRaven, 61, is a four-star admiral who oversaw the raid that killed Osama bin Laden, the mastermind of the 9/11 attacks, in 2011.

>>> Read the full editorial at Texas Tribune

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Photo of William McRaven via University of Texas at Austin