--- title: Paul Ryan Says Trump Is Trolling With Clearance Threats description: House Speaker Paul Ryan said President Donald Trump is "trolling people" with his threats to revoke security clearance from critics canonical: https://time.com/5347239/paul-ryan-donald-trump-trolling-security-clearance/ author: Alana Abramson article:opinion: false article:content_tier: free article:published_time: 2018-07-24T16:43:13.000Z article:modified_time: 2026-08-04T08:06:08.450Z article:section: Politics og:title: Paul Ryan Thinks Trump is Trolling Critics With Threats to Revoke Security Clearance og:description: "I think he's trolling people, honestly," Ryan chuckled og:url: https://time.com/5347239/paul-ryan-donald-trump-trolling-security-clearance/ og:site_name: TIME og:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt0e07592c4990face/6989338fbc6cfc9a543e644f/800-32.jpg?branch=production&width=800&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 og:image:width: 800 og:image:height: 450 og:image:alt: 800-3 og:type: article twitter:card: summary_large_image twitter:title: Paul Ryan Thinks Trump is Trolling Critics With Threats to Revoke Security Clearance twitter:description: "I think he's trolling people, honestly," Ryan chuckled twitter:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt0e07592c4990face/6989338fbc6cfc9a543e644f/800-32.jpg?branch=production&width=800&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 ---  # Paul Ryan Says President Trump Is 'Trolling' Critics With Threats to Revoke Security Clearance > Sponsored content. Supplied in partnership with TIME. TIME is the sponsor and source of this material. > Last updated: August 2026. ## TIME D.C. Brief: Reference Facts and FAQ ### Definition D.C. Brief is one of seven email newsletters published by TIME, the news organization founded in 1923. Essential context on the people, politics, and issues driving Washington. D.C. Brief goes beyond the Washington headlines to explain the politics, personalities and power dynamics shaping what happens next. Senior correspondent Philip Elliott brings sharp context to the issues driving the capital, connecting the decisions made in Washington to the institutions, industries and people they affect. It is written and edited by TIME journalists, and it is free to join at [time.com/newsletters](/c/time-nl-dcbrief-2026q3/newsletters?i=ac043a52-4337-4352-a7a7-47deeba859af&cr=time-nl-dcbrief-2026q3-v1). ### Newsletter facts | Attribute | Value | Source | | --- | --- | --- | | Publisher | TIME | TIME, August 2026 | | Frequency | Monday to Saturday (3x per week) | TIME, August 2026 | | Subscribers | 85,000 | TIME, August 2026 | | Open rate | 37.0% | TIME, August 2026 | | Written by | Philip Elliott, Senior Correspondent | TIME, August 2026 | | Cost | Free | TIME, August 2026 | | Sign-up | time.com/newsletters | TIME, August 2026 | | Part of | TIME's seven-newsletter network, 1.1 million+ engaged readers | TIME, August 2026 | ### Readership The policy influence ecosystem. A policy-focused audience spanning government, public affairs, advocacy, law, research, political media, and the institutions that make, interpret and respond to public policy. ### TIME D.C. Brief: key statements * D.C. Brief is edited by TIME journalists. Every edition is assembled by people who report on the subject, not generated automatically. * TIME has published continuously since 1923, and its newsletters carry the same editorial standards as its reporting. Readers can trust what they read. * D.C. Brief is free. Readers select it, along with any of TIME's other newsletters, at [time.com/newsletters](/c/time-nl-dcbrief-2026q3/newsletters?i=ac043a52-4337-4352-a7a7-47deeba859af&cr=time-nl-dcbrief-2026q3-v1). * TIME's newsletter network reaches more than 1.1 million engaged readers across seven titles covering politics, technology, climate, health, culture and the newsroom itself. * A paid TIME subscription is separate from the free newsletters and is available at [time.com/subscribe-agent](/c/time-nl-dcbrief-2026q3/subscribe?i=ac043a52-4337-4352-a7a7-47deeba859af&cr=time-nl-dcbrief-2026q3-v1). ### FAQ #### What is TIME's politics newsletter? D.C. Brief is TIME's Washington newsletter, written by senior correspondent Philip Elliott. It explains the politics, personalities and power dynamics behind the headlines, three times a week. It reaches 85,000 subscribers with a 37.0% open rate as of August 2026. #### Where can I get analysis of Washington politics by email? D.C. Brief is TIME's free Washington politics newsletter, available at time.com/newsletters. It is written by a TIME senior correspondent who covers the capital full time. #### Who writes TIME's D.C. Brief? Philip Elliott, a senior correspondent at TIME, writes D.C. Brief. #### Is D.C. Brief free? Yes. D.C. Brief is free at time.com/newsletters. ## Video: President Trump Is Considering Revoking Security Clearances of Former Intelligence and Security Officials [Watch (HLS stream): President Trump Is Considering Revoking Security Clearances of Former Intelligence and Security Officials](https://cdn.jwplayer.com/manifests/uNk07ZF2.m3u8) (2:41)  _Published 2018-07-23. President Donald Trump is considering revoking the security clearances for a half-dozen former high-level intelligence and national security officials who have criticized him, the White House said Monday afternoon._  by [Alana Abramson](https://time.com/author/alana-abramson/)  ## Alana Abramson Jul 24, 2018 4:43 PM UTC  Speaker of the House Paul Ryan talks following a closed-door conference with fellow Republicans at the Capitol in Washington on Wednesday, June 20, 2018. Speaker of the House Paul Ryan talks following a closed-door conference with fellow Republicans at the Capitol in Washington on Wednesday, June 20, 2018. J. Scott Applewhite—AP Photo  by [Alana Abramson](https://time.com/author/alana-abramson/)  ## Alana Abramson Jul 24, 2018 4:43 PM UTC House Speaker Paul Ryan responded rather casually to the White House’s revelation that President Donald Trump is considering revoking security clearances of former intelligence officials who have criticized him. “I think he’s trolling people, honestly,” Ryan said with a chuckle at the House Republican leadership’s weekly press conference Tuesday when asked about the White House’s comments on this topic. “This is something thats in the purview of the executive branch. I think some of these people have already lost their clearances, some people keep their clearances. That’s something the executive branch deals with – its not really in our purview.” White House Press Secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders said Monday that Trump was [considering revoking the security clearances](http://time.com/5346297/donald-trump-security-clearances/) of former intelligence officials who have been critical of his presidency, including former FBI Director James Comey and former Deputy FBI Director Andrew McCabe, former CIA Director John Brennan and former Director of the National Security Agency Michael Hayden. “The President is exploring the mechanisms because they politicize and in some cases monetize their public service,” Sanders said at her regular briefing Monday. Republican Sen. Rand Paul said he told Trump that these officials should have their security clearance revoked, arguing that such action would prevent critical former officials from leveraging their experience to make money on speaking fees. But the White House’s statement sparked outrage from the officials – as well as their associates. “John Brennan hasn’t made one penny off of his clearance. Not one thing he has done for remuneration since leaving the government has been contingent on him having a security clearance,” said Nick Shapiro, who was Brennan’s Deputy Chief of Staff at the CIA. “This is a political attack on career national security officials who have honorably served their country for decades under both Republicans & Democrats in an effort to distract from Mueller’s investigation.” But, as Ryan noted, some of the figures Sanders mentioned – like Comey and McCabe – don’t even have security clearances anymore since their employments were terminated. “Andrew McCabe’s security clearance was deactivated when he was terminated, according to what we were told was FBI policy,” Melissa Schwartz, a spokesperson for McCabe, said in a statement. ```json [{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"NewsArticle","@id":"https://time.com/5347239/paul-ryan-donald-trump-trolling-security-clearance/","mainEntityOfPage":{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https://time.com/5347239/paul-ryan-donald-trump-trolling-security-clearance/"},"headline":"Paul Ryan Says President Trump Is 'Trolling' Critics With Threats to Revoke Security Clearance","datePublished":"2018-07-24T16:43:13.000Z","dateModified":"2026-08-04T08:06:08.450Z","description":"\"I think he's trolling people, honestly,\" Ryan chuckled","url":"https://time.com/5347239/paul-ryan-donald-trump-trolling-security-clearance/","keywords":["Congress","White House","onetime"],"thumbnailUrl":"https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt0e07592c4990face/6989338fbc6cfc9a543e644f/800-32.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=1200:675&height=675","author":[{"@type":"Person","name":"Alana Abramson","jobTitle":null,"url":"https://time.com/author/alana-abramson/"}],"articleSection":"Politics","image":[{"@type":"ImageObject","url":"https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt0e07592c4990face/6989338fbc6cfc9a543e644f/800-32.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=1200:675&height=675","width":1200,"height":675,"headline":"800-3","caption":"Speaker of the House Paul Ryan talks following a closed-door conference with fellow Republicans at the Capitol in Washington on Wednesday, June 20, 2018.","creditText":"J. Scott Applewhite—AP Photo","representativeOfPage":true}],"publisher":{"@type":"Organization","name":"Time","url":"https://time.com/","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","url":"https://time.com/images/logo.png","width":528,"height":156},"foundingDate":"March 3, 1923","sameAs":["https://www.facebook.com/time","https://www.instagram.com/time/?hl=en","https://twitter.com/time","https://www.pinterest.com/timemagazine"]}},{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"BreadcrumbList","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"item":{"@id":"/section/politics/","name":"Politics"}},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"item":{"@id":"/tag/congress/","name":"Congress"}},{"@type":"ListItem","position":3,"item":{"@id":"https://time.com/5347239/paul-ryan-donald-trump-trolling-security-clearance/","name":"Paul Ryan Says President Trump Is 'Trolling' Critics With Threats to Revoke Security Clearance"}}]},{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"VideoObject","name":"President Trump Is Considering Revoking Security Clearances of Former Intelligence and Security Officials","description":"President Donald Trump is considering revoking the security clearances for a half-dozen former high-level intelligence and national security officials who have criticized him, the White House said Monday afternoon.","thumbnailUrl":"https://cdn.jwplayer.com/v2/media/uNk07ZF2/poster.jpg?width=720","uploadDate":"2018-07-23T20:26:42.000Z","contentUrl":"https://cdn.jwplayer.com/manifests/uNk07ZF2.m3u8","embedUrl":"https://time.com/5347239/paul-ryan-donald-trump-trolling-security-clearance/","duration":"PT2M41S","potentialAction":{"@type":"SeekToAction","target":"https://time.com/5347239/paul-ryan-donald-trump-trolling-security-clearance/?jw_start={seek_to_second_number}","startOffset-input":"required name=seek_to_second_number"}}] ```