President Trump, the most successful reality television producer in the history of the medium, knows how to spot a compelling villain, and now he has provoked the Deep-Staters into defending the indefensible.  When several conservative writers, including me, highlighted the on-air breakdown of former CIA executive Phillip Mudd when Paris Dennard opined that revoking John Brennan's security clearance was justified, President Trump evidently took the time to watch this video:

Understanding the potential for a good story arc, he then tweeted yesterday evening:

Just watched former Intelligence Official Phillip Mudd become totally unglued and weird while debating wonderful @PARISDENNARD over Brennan’s Security Clearance. Dennard destroyed him but Mudd is in no mental condition to have such a Clearance. Should be REVOKED? @seanhannity

— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) August 21, 2018

Perhaps even faster than the POTUS hoped, his enemies leaped into his trap.  Ten minutes later, General Michael Hayden, a leader among Trump-hating Deep State intelligence services veterans, labeled Mudd, whose lack of self-control was conspicuous, a hero.

Phil’s a hero.   Counter terrorism giant.  I saw the same hit live on Friday.  Saw it differently.

— Gen Michael Hayden (@GenMhayden) August 21, 2018

Perfect!

As Ryan Saavedra pointed out at The Daily Wire, Mudd is subject to such a virulent strain of Trump Derangement Syndrome that he actually used the n-word on CNN's air (against Don Lemon!), in addition to other ethnic slurs and many uses of the S-word.

The N-word used here:

Complete segment, replete with verbal ethnic and barnyard vulgarity here:

I am not even certain that Mudd maintains a security clearance.  If he does, he clearly is too mentally unstable to be trusted with the nation's secrets.  But in Mudd, Trump has found the perfect face for TDS, the Deep State's hatred for him, and the dangers of promiscuous grants of security clearance to retired employees of the federal government.