US President, Donald Trump, on Friday followed through on his threat to revoke the security clearances of his predecessor, Joe Biden, and several other senior former White House and national security officials.
The action targeted a wide range of individuals, including Biden himself, members of his family, and former Vice President and Trump rival Kamala Harris.
Also on the list were high-profile figures such as former Secretary of State and presidential candidate Hillary Clinton, Biden’s current Secretary of State Antony Blinken, and national security advisor Jacob Sullivan.
In a memorandum issued to agency heads and disseminated by the White House communications office, Trump ordered that the listed officials be stripped of their access to classified information.
He stated, “I hereby direct every executive department and agency head … to revoke any active security clearances held by the aforementioned individuals,” adding, “I also direct all executive department and agency heads to revoke unescorted access to secure United States Government facilities from these individuals.”
Traditionally, former presidents and senior national security officials maintain security clearances as a courtesy, often aiding them in future roles with private contractors.
However, Trump who continues to falsely claim that Biden conspired to steal the 2020 election has repeatedly expressed his fury at his predecessor by taking such drastic measures.
It is worth noting that Trump himself was once under investigation for allegedly breaching security protocols by storing classified White House documents at his Mar-a-Lago resort, though that inquiry was closed after he returned to office.
Along with many of Biden’s key appointees, the list also names former Republican lawmaker and vocal critic Liz Cheney.
Additionally, British-born intelligence analyst Fiona Hill—who served under both Democratic and Republican administrations, including in Trump’s own White House—is included, along with former colleague Alexander Vindman, a Kyiv-born retired senior officer of the US Army who came under fire from Trump after raising concerns about the White House’s contacts with Russia.
