Sens. Bob Corker of Tennessee and Susan Collins of Maine said they disagreed with the move. Collins, a member of the Intelligence Committee, criticized Brennan as “far too political” but said that unless he disclosed classified information she didn’t “see the grounds" for revoking his security clearance.

“It’s unwise. Because generally, recently retired intelligence officials have a lot to contribute to the analysis that is being done,” Collins told reporters.

“Without having some kind of tangible reasons for doing so, which there may be that I’m not aware of, I don’t like it at all. It just feels like sort of a … banana republic kind of thing,” said Corker, the retiring Senate Foreign Relations Committee chairman, repeating the "banana republic" line two more times in an exasperated tone. “I don’t like it.”