Ex-CIA chief John Brennan was seen lashing out at a man who asked him about the controversy linked to Hunter Biden's laptop. Brennan appeared to lose his temper and got up close to national security consultant Thomas Speciale after being questioned about the infamous letter signed by 51 former intelligence officials — including himself — which suggested that the emails were part of a Russian disinformation campaign.
Speciale shared the heated encounter on X on Saturday, saying that the incident took place last Thursday at the end of a conference. In the clip, the conservative can be seen holding a beer as he walks up to Brennan to ask about the letter
Losing His Temper
However, before he could finish speaking, the former CIA director, a Democrat, became noticeably upset. "You misrepresented that," Brennan shouted at Speciale during the tense clash.
"We never said it was disinformation; we said it was Russian influence operations, which is what they do. There's a big difference," he added.
When Speciale challenged him, the former CIA director threw up his hand in frustration and snapped, "I'm not going to waste my time with you."
On Saturday, Speciale posted the video of the tense exchange on X, along with the full text of the infamous "spies who lie" letter that Brennan had signed.
That letter surfaced shortly after a bombshell report by the New York Post in October 2020 exposed Hunter Biden's "laptop from hell," which revealed emails showing how Hunter appeared to use his father's position as vice president in business dealings with Ukrainian associates.
In response, 51 current and former intelligence officials — none of whom had direct knowledge of the situation — signed a letter dismissing the laptop story as possible Russian disinformation, using their official backgrounds to cast doubt on The New York Post's findings just weeks before the 2020 election.
Politico then ran the story under the headline, "Hunter Biden story is Russian disinfo, dozens of former intel officials say."
Embarrassment Continues
Several of the signatories have since tried to distance themselves from that attention-grabbing headline. "There are a number of factors that make us suspicious of Russian involvement," they wrote in the public letter.
"Such an operation would be consistent with Russian objectives, as outlined publicly and recently by the Intelligence Community, to create political chaos in the United States and to deepen political divisions here."
The initial story was a major revelation, exposing how Hunter Biden appeared to use his father's influence in his business ventures and sparking questions about then–Vice President Joe Biden's role in urging Ukrainian officials to remove Prosecutor General Viktor Shokin.
Shokin publicly suggested that Biden wanted him fired because he had been looking into Burisma — the Ukrainian energy company where Hunter served on the board.
Biden, however, denied that claim, insisting he pushed for Shokin's removal because the prosecutor wasn't doing enough to tackle corruption.
Notably, federal prosecutors relied on evidence from Hunter Biden's laptop when bringing charges against him for allegedly buying a gun while addicted to illegal drugs.
Brennan, meanwhile, has been a frequent target of Republican criticism. Just last month, the House Judiciary Committee referred him to the Justice Department, accusing him of making "numerous willful and intentional false statements" during his testimony to Congress.
