Former Trump administration officials and Republicans criticized President Trump's use of executive orders to revoke security clearances of Chris Krebs and Miles Taylor, both of whom had criticized the president. The executive orders also called for investigations into their government tenures.
The critics compared Trump's actions to those of a 'royal despot', highlighting the use of presidential power for political retribution. They argued that this sets a dangerous precedent in American democracy. An open letter, signed by over 200 people including prominent figures like Ty Cobb and John Mitnick, condemned this behavior as a 'profoundly unconstitutional break' with precedent.
The letter was organized by the State Democracy Defenders Fund, led by Norm Eisen of the Brookings Institution (though the Institution itself was not involved). Many signatories had previously worked with Trump's administration but have since become openly critical of his actions. The letter emphasizes the need for rejecting the misuse of presidential power for political vendettas, regardless of political affiliation.