So Brennan is in "panic mode" because he sent out a text message on Sunday addressed to McConnell and Ryan.
I understand your sense of a disconnect. However, I do believe that Brennan
is in a panic mode--
becauise I certainly would be if I were him.
Perhaps the author of the article knows, as I do, that Brennan
is in serious trouble and also presupposes, as I do, that
Brennan knows that he is in serious trouble. Perhaps the author of the article is trying to find and publicize some actions by Brennan that could be construed as meaningful signs of panic on Brennan's part.
***
Well, I agree that it's a stretch to call Brennan's rhetoric a very sure sign of panic. On the other hand, one could argue that inasmuch as Brennan is surely trying to figure out how he can save his own neck from impending criminal prosecution, the very fact that he is now bothering to confront McConnell and Ryan with a seemingly lame political warning could be taken as a sign that he is running out of stratagems for saving himself (which desperate situation is surely a situation of panic).
In short, Brennan is manifestly trying to give the Deep State's orders to McConnell and Ryan to pull out all stops to stop Trump--i.e., to find
Republican ways of stopping Trump. Brannan's rhetoric suggests that the Dems have run out of options.
Brennan's attempts to mobilize GOP leadership will not be likely to pan out for him. McConnell and Ryan will probably figure that it's safer to ignore Brennan completely than to go after Trump in the way that Brennan is demanding. (Still, the GOP leaders in Congress might very well be unnerved that a famously scary guy like Brennan is even talking to them. Brennan may be counting on his nasty reputation to send a
sub rosa threat along with his "lame" warning about saving America.)