Earlier this month, when President Donald Trump announced that he would be revoking the security clearance of former Obama-era Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) Director John Brennan, over supposed "unfounded and outrageous allegations" made by Brennan against the Trump administration, he encountered a surprising response from the US military and intelligence community.

Every day it seems another top defense official is pledging to stand by Brennan and give up their security clearance if it means standing up to Donald Trump.

On August 18th, retired Admiral William McRaven, best known for overseeing the 2011 Navy SEAL mission to eliminate Osama bin Laden, penned an open letter in The Washington Post asking Donald Trump to revoke his security clearance as well so that he could include his name in "the list of men and women who have spoken up against your presidency."

He accused Trump of "humiliating" and "embarrassing" America in front of its citizens as well as foreign nations. Frankly, Admiral McRaven has an excellent point.

Our current President has a history of denigrating the US military and intelligence to the eyes of the public. In March 2018, Trump announced that his administration would prevent transgender individuals from joining the US military, an act that made the military appear as discriminatory and oppressive.

In April 2018, the president threatened to fire Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein in an attempt to obstruct justice in relation to the Russia investigation, which is currently investigating Trump for possible illegal relations with Russian officials during his presidential campaign.

In June 2018, Trump saluted a North Korean general at a summit with Kim Jong Un; this gave an extraordinary level of legitimacy to an army that is at odds with the US military. These actions, along with many, many others, have only increased the contempt that many defense and intelligence officials, like Brennan and McRaven, hold for his presidency.

This week, retired Air Force General Michael Hayden, the former head of the CIA and the NSA, appeared to concur with the sentiments of McRaven and Brennan (who vowed that he "will not relent" in his criticism of Trump despite his loss of clearance), when he stated, in an interview with CNN, that he would be extremely uncomfortable if he is allowed to keep his own security clearance if that meant that he was somehow agreeing with Trump's actions.

He replied "sure" if asked whether it would be honorable if he were to join the group of intelligence and military officials risking clearance removal if it meant speaking out against President Trump.

In these political conditions, as well as in light of President Trump's many blunders as president, it is important that disillusioned officials express themselves in order to reassure the American people that at least some people in power have the ability to act with dignity.

Trump's White House staff will likely never speak out, neither will embattled congressional Republicans who have their conservative Trump-supporting constituents to satisfy. Hopefully, the recent words of Brennan, Admiral McRaven, and General Hayden will move others in the military and various government agencies (who are not directly under Trump's influence) to stand up to a leader who repeatedly makes a mockery of the United States of America to the world.