The Morning Briefing: The Brennan Pageant Continues and Much, Much More

Good Monday morning.

Here is what’s on the president’s agenda today:

The president has lunch with the vice president
President Trump participates in the Salute to the Heroes of the Immigration and Customs Enforcement and Customs and Border Protection

Non-partisan former civil servant remains in the headlines

John Brennan, former CIA director and cable news sweetheart, dominated the Sunday spin show chatter after President Trump yanked his security clearance last week. Just to recap, Brennan most likely orchestrated the entire fake RUSSIA collusion operation which publicly kicked off when he told Twitter personality James Comey to brief Trump on the salacious and unverified dossier and then leaked the briefing to his media pals.

Following the loss of ~~big defense contracting deals~~ his security clearance, Brennan is considering legal action against Trump for taking his cash cow clearance away and to stop the president from doing the same to other co-conspirators. On Sunday’s “Meet the Press” Brennan quacked: “If my clearances and my reputation as I’m being pulled through the mud now, if that’s the price we’re going to pay to prevent Donald Trump from doing this against other people, to me it’s a small price to pay.”

“I’m going to do whatever I can personally to try to prevent these abuses in the future and if it means going to court, I will do that,” he added.

National Security Advisor John Bolton also weighed in on the Brennan controversy. “My opinion is that he was politicizing intelligence,” Bolton said, adding that Brennan had failed to keep intact the “wall of separation between intelligence and policy.”

“I think a number of people have commented that [Brennan] couldn’t be in the position he’s in of criticizing President Trump and his so-called collusion with Russia unless he did use classified information. But I don’t know the specifics.”

Another garbage person in the intelligence community, Leon Panetta, popped up on the Sunday shows to question whether the president has the authority to take away Brennan’s clearance. “I think there are questions raised as to whether or not this president has followed the executive order, and whether or not he’s provided due process to those that are going to have their security clearances revoked,” Panetta said.

This is nonsense — the president is the ultimate authority. If it’s not the president who can remove clearances, who can? The president controls the executive branch, and guess what? The CIA, FBI, and DOJ are part of the executive branch. Panetta was also concerned Trump might remove other clearances if there’s a bad news day. Well, let me tell you: Trump should remove all the clearances from people who have left the employ of the government. All of them. Every day is a “bad news day” for Trump in the media’s view. He’s never going to get a fair shake, so stop trying to appease them and do what has to be done.

James Clapper, sponsored by CNN, appeared yesterday on his patron network to concede Brennan’s mania has become an “issue.” When appearing with his comrade Jake Tapper, Clapper said: “John is sort of like a freight train and he’s gonna say what’s on his mind. John and his rhetoric have become an issue in and of itself.”

Mueller roundup

Crazy stuff going on in the Mueller witch hunt. CNN was trying to identify the jurors on the Manfort jury, strictly for journalistic purposes, I’m sure. Not to intimidate them or frighten them or anything. White House counsel Don McGahn was the subject of a story revealing his generous cooperation with Mueller. Apparently, McCahn spoke with Mueller’s coven for more than 30 hours.

Trump renews calls for Mueller to investigate Clinton

Michael Cohen under investigation for over $20M in bank fraud: report

This is true. Rudy Giuliani says he doesn’t want Trump to get stuck in a perjury trap in an interview with Mueller because ‘Truth isn’t truth’

#metoo leaderboard

Kevin Spacey’s New Film Opens To Less Than $150 After Sex Misconduct Allegations

Weinstein accuser Asia Argento made deal to pay her own sexual assault accuser, bombshell report says

Your daily WTF:

Ryanair flight kicks off ‘disruptive’ passenger dressed as Tinkerbell

Historical picture of the day:

Troopers of the 1st U.S. division wade through deep muddy rice paddy 15 miles north of Saigon in Vietnam on August 20, 1966, during an operation against the Viet Cong. The Americans came under heavy fire and were pinned down at one point in the muddy waters by intense enemy automatic fire and mortars. (AP Photo/John Nance)

Other morsels:

BUT RUSSIA. Bolton warns China, Iran and North Korea could meddle in US elections

South Koreans enter North to reunite with kin split by war

Facebook apologizes over removal of conservative site’s web videos

Bolton open to privatizing military operations in Afghanistan

Funny. Dem Rep. Alcee Hastings Jokes About President Trump Drowning In The Potomac River

Shots were reportedly fired at the US embassy in Turkey

Toronto Police Arrest Man Accused Of Assaulting Journalist At Antifa Protest

Michelle Wolf’s Netflix Show Canceled After Only Three Months

Gunman who killed five at Florida airport sentenced to life

Trump continues to dismantle Obama’s climate legacy, will reverse another signature Obama-era policy

Al Sharpton Misspells Famous Aretha Franklin Song: ‘R-E-S-P-I-C-T’