Liberals claim that stripping John Brennan of his security clearance is a violation of his First Amendment rights. They ignore the fact that obtaining and maintaining a security clearance strips the user of a wide variety of First Amendment rights. 

Harvard law professor Alan Dershowitz said President Donald Trump’s revocation of ex-CIA chief John Brennan’s security clearance could be the basis for constitutional violations… if the president targets only his critics “that would raise a serious First Amendment question.”

Fox News

Let’s review, here is the First Amendment:

Amendment I
Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the government for a redress of grievances.

United States Constitution

A person possessing a security clearance does not have freedom of speech or the right to publish without restriction. Non-official publications are subject to vetting by the granting agency, also known as prior restraint. As the quote below illustrates this is not an option.

Nor is it optional for the individuals who sign a secrecy agreement to seek a review. It is specifically required to protect the sources and methods of collection and analysis they will learn about and which, if revealed, could cost heavily in lives, resources, and continued access to critical national security information…

The review requirement is spelled out clearly in the secrecy agreement, in which the signer agrees to submit for review any material that “I contemplate disclosing publicly or that I have actually prepared for public disclosure, either during my employment…or at any time thereafter, prior to discussing it or showing it to anyone who is not authorized to have access…. 

The courts have held that this signed agreement is a lifetime enforceable contract.(3) The courts also have noted that the secrecy agreement is a prior restraint of First Amendment freedom. But they ruled it a legitimate restraint…

CIA regulations explain that the review requirement applies to “all writings and scripts or outlines of oral presentations intended for nonofficial publication, including works of fiction, which contain any mention of the CIA, intelligence data or intelligence activities, or material on any subject about which the author has had access to classified information in the course of his or her employment

CIA Publications Review Board (CIA PRB)

Marijuana has been legalized in a number of states. Drug use, abuse of alcohol are grounds to revoke a security clearance. Got a foreign national for a new neighbor? Before you invite them over for a barbecue, better notify the facility security officer (FSO). Failure to do so can be construed as a security violation resulting in loss of clearance. Contemplating a Thai bride from a catalog, call the FSO. Want to go to  Russia on vacation? Call the FSO for a mother may I. The point is, activities available to “normal Americans” are either not available or subject to review when the individual possesses a security clearance.

There are a variety of behaviors that can lead to the revocation of a security clearance. Brennan’s attacks on the President go beyond political disagreement. His actions and words more than justify the action of the President. The First Amendment claim is bogus and is a cynical effort on the part of liberals. Once again their low opinion of the public causes them to treat us like they are idiots.