Trump hits with this movement former Obama associates

United States President Donald Trump is considering removing the formal authorisation of six former intelligence and rule of law officials, who frequently criticise the president, the White House said.

The sixth belonged to former President Barack Obama's administration and included: former CIA Director John Brenan, former FBI Director James Comey, former Director of National Intelligence James Klapper, former head of the Agency for National Security, Michael Hayden, former White House for National Security adviser Susan Rice, and former FBI deputy director Andree McCabe.

Brannan has sharply criticised Trump's meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin last week, naming their joint media conference as “nothing less than treason”.

This, after Trump has cast doubt on the findings of US intelligence agencies that Russia has intervened in US presidential elections in 2016, and has acknowledged Putin's denial.

White House spokeswoman Sarah Saunders said Trump is considering mechanisms to deprive six officials of their authorisation.

She said former officials have made baseless accusations of inappropriate contacts with Russia.

Official authorisation is a status that allows individuals access to classified information.

Trump's reaction to critics is the same as “totalism”, wrote Democrat Senator Mazie Hirono in Titter. /rel/