Trump denies report he considered revoking Obama’s clearance

President Trump on Tuesday denied a report claiming that he considered stripping former President Obama of his security clearance. 

The president tweeted that he “never discussed or thought of” the possibility of revoking Obama’s security clearance after The New Yorker reported Monday that aides to Trump had considered the topic last year.

“Fake News, of which there is soooo much (this time the very tired New Yorker) falsely reported that I was going to take the extraordinary step of denying Intelligence Briefings to President Obama. Never discussed or thought of!” Trump tweeted.

Fake News, of which there is soooo much (this time the very tired New Yorker) falsely reported that I was going to take the extraordinary step of denying Intelligence Briefings to President Obama. Never discussed or thought of!

— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) August 21, 2018

{mosads}The report, which did not cite any Trump administration officials directly, claimed that White House officials brought up the possibility of removing Obama’s security clearance last year, only to be rebuffed by former national security adviser H.R. McMaster.

McMaster reportedly shot down the idea, instructing the president and his staff of the importance of keeping former presidents informed, the report continues, while not stating whether Trump himself ever supported it.

Trump has faced a storm of controversy after he announced last week that he would revoke the security clearance of former CIA Director John Brennan. Trump said he made the decision based on Brennan’s “lying,” and not his frequent and often personal attacks against the president.

A dozen former top intelligence officials condemned the move, arguing in a letter to the White House that security clearances should not be used as political weapons by the administration.

Trump has frequently attacked the mainstream national news media as “fake news,” and has stepped up his criticisms of the press in recent weeks, calling entire news organizations “enem[ies] of the people.”