Brennan: ‘I miss the days when American Presidents … were respected for their honesty & integrity’

Former CIA Director John Brennan criticized President Trump on Monday, saying he “missed the days” when U.S. presidents “were respected” for their honesty and integrity.

Brennan, a frequent critic of Trump’s who saw the president revoke his security clearance earlier this year, took the shot while praising French President Emmanuel Macron, German Chancellor Angela Merkel and Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau for their handling of the killing of Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi.

{mosads}“Trudeau, Macron, Merkel…it is so refreshing to see principled leaders saying & doing the right things…for their countries as well as for global peace & stability,” Brennan tweeted. “I miss the days when American Presidents, while never perfect, were respected for their honesty & integrity.”

Trudeau, Macron, Merkel…it is so refreshing to see principled leaders saying & doing the right things…for their countries as well as for global peace & stability. I miss the days when American Presidents, while never perfect, were respected for their honesty & integrity. https://t.co/6ylCDH8ETP

— John O. Brennan (@JohnBrennan) November 12, 2018

{mosads}Brennan’s tweet was in response to the news that Canadian intelligence officials had listened to audio recordings of Khashoggi’s death inside the Saudi Consulate in Istanbul.

Khashoggi, a Washington Post columnist and critic of the Saudi government, disappeared after entering the consulate on Oct. 2.

Turkish officials said that the U.S. has also received recordings of the killing, but the U.S. has not yet acknowledged hearing the recordings.

Brennan’s praise of the three leaders was also notable given the repeated feuds all three have had with Trump. 

The president was in Paris over the weekend along with Trudeau, Merkel and other world leaders to mark the 100th anniversary of the end of World War I. 

Macron in a speech at one gathering of the leaders decried “nationalism” as a “betrayal of patriotism.”

The remarks were seen as a rebuke of Trump, who said just last month that he is a “nationalist” and not a “globalist” who wants “the globe to do well.”

“You know, they have a word — it’s sort of became old-fashioned — it’s called a nationalist. And I say, ‘Really, we’re not supposed to use that word?’ You know what I am? I’m a nationalist, OK? I’m a nationalist. Nationalist. Nothing wrong. Use that word. Use that word,” Trump said at an Oct. 22 rally in Houston.