US President Donald Trump acted on his threat to revoke the security clearances of his predecessor, Joe Biden, along with several senior former White House and national security officials, on Friday.
According to AFP, the list of individuals whose access to classified information was revoked included Biden, his family members, and Vice President Kamala Harris, who had previously run against Trump in the presidential race.
Also named were former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, Biden’s Secretary of State Antony Blinken, and National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan.
Trump’s statement
In a memorandum sent to agency heads and distributed through the White House communications office, Trump stated that these officials should no longer have access to classified materials.
“I have determined that it is no longer in the national interest for the following individuals to access classified information,” Trump said, as reported by Reuters. “I hereby direct every executive department and agency head … to revoke any active security clearances held by the aforementioned individuals,” Trump said.
“I also direct all executive department and agency heads to revoke unescorted access to secure United States Government facilities from these individuals.”
AFP noted that former US presidents and national security officials are typically allowed to retain their security clearance as a courtesy, with some using it for work opportunities with private contractors.
Despite losing the 2020 election, Trump — who continues to falsely claim Joe Biden conspired to steal the election — remains bitter toward his predecessor and often targets him in public statements, AFP reported.
Trump himself had faced an investigation over his handling of classified documents after his first term, when he stored sensitive materials at his Mar-a-Lago resort during the transition between presidencies. That investigation was later closed after Trump returned to office.
Many of the individuals on Trump’s list are key political figures from the Biden administration. However, former Republican lawmaker and vocal Trump critic Liz Cheney also appeared on the list.
Fiona Hill, a British-born intelligence analyst who served under both Republican and Democratic administrations — including as an advisor in Trump’s own White House — was also targeted, AFP reported.
Joining her was her former colleague Alexander Vindman, a retired senior US Army officer from Kyiv. Vindman became a target of Trump after he raised alarms about White House dealings with Russia.
(With inputs from agencies)
