Trump vs. Brennan: A bad guy doing a bad thing to a bad guy.
My personal view is that for Trump to respond to Brennan (et al.) is infra dignitatem, or as the Brits would say, "infra dig." That is, beneath one's dignity. But Trump doesn't do infra dig, so consequently, neither do the president nor the presidency.
There is a case to be made that Brennan's vindictive partisanship, his irresponsible rhetoric, his unhinged accusations, and his sheer, unflinching demagoguery, justified Trump's decision to strip him of his security clearance. @guypbenson makes it here. townhall.com/tipsheet/guybe…
On the other hand, one can argue, as @DavidAFrench does, that Trump's own vindictiveness and irresponsible rhetoric and accusations override any merits his decision may have had and push it into the realm of abuse of power. nationalreview.com/2018/08/john-b…
I think @stephenfhayes has the best take. Just because someone is the object of Trump's disaffection, Trump's vitriol doesn't absolve or expiate his sins. Brennan is an awful person, and Trump's animus doesn't change that. Both parties can suck. weeklystandard.com/stephen-f-haye…
That's my two cents. Just because Trump can do something, that doesn't mean he should. Or as the former Marjorie Bouvier put it . . .
