James Clapper, former director of national intelligence under the Obama administration, has been barred from attending a graduation ceremony for a K9 officer trained by the CIA. This particular canine, a yellow Labrador named Susan, was sponsored by Clapper in memory of his late wife.
Clapper was informed by the organization responsible for Susan’s training that his invitation to the event, held in late May at a CIA facility in Herndon, Virginia, had been rescinded. According to reliable sources, this action was taken due to an executive order issued by President Donald Trump earlier in the year, effectively stripping Clapper, among others, of their security clearances.
These trained canines, including Susan, are utilized by the CIA to locate hidden explosives, providing an invaluable service to national security. Clapper’s late wife, Susan’s namesake and a former National Security Agency employee, was an avid animal lover and volunteer at a local animal shelter.
This event follows President Trump’s repeated use of canine-related insults towards his detractors. The evidence suggests that Clapper was among those targeted by such remarks, with Trump once likening him and another Obama-era official to dogs choking during a Senate hearing on the so-called Russia hoax.
On one hand, there’s the executive order that stripped more than four dozen former intelligence officials, including Clapper, of their security clearances. The CIA interpreted this order as a directive to bar Clapper from agency property. On the other hand, questions remain concerning the fairness of such a blanket application of the order, particularly given the personal nature of Clapper’s involvement with the K9 graduation.
Reports indicate that the CIA and the White House have yet to comment on this matter.