President Donald Trump made a controversial national security decision that has surprised many due to its rarity. On Friday, he rescinded the security clearances of several former high-ranking officials, asserting that this action was essential for the nation’s protection. This follows his earlier decision to revoke the security clearance of his predecessor, former President Joe Biden, which was also deemed highly unconventional.
The president released a memorandum on the official White House website stating:
“I have concluded that it is no longer in the national interest for the following individuals to have access to classified information: Antony Blinken, Jacob Sullivan, Lisa Monaco, Mark Zaid, Norman Eisen, Letitia James, Alvin Bragg, Andrew Weissmann, Hillary Clinton, Elizabeth Cheney, Kamala Harris, Adam Kinzinger, Fiona Hill, Alexander Vindman, Joseph R. Biden Jr., and any other member of Joseph R. Biden Jr.’s family. Therefore, I hereby instruct all heads of executive departments and agencies to take all necessary actions, in accordance with existing law, to revoke any active security clearances held by these individuals and to immediately terminate their access to classified information. I also direct all heads of executive departments and agencies to revoke unescorted access to secure United States Government facilities for these individuals,” the president stated.
“This measure encompasses, but is not limited to, the receipt of classified briefings, such as the President’s Daily Brief, and access to classified information held by any member of the Intelligence Community due to the previous congressional tenure of the named individuals,” he added.
“In cases where any of the listed individuals obtained a security clearance through their employment with a private entity, the United States Government entity that issued the clearance should notify the private entity that these individuals’ access to classified information has been revoked,” President Trump concluded.
In February, the president announced via the Truth Social platform that he would cease daily intelligence briefings for Biden, citing concerns that the former president’s purported mental state poses a national security threat. Additionally, he has revoked Biden’s security clearance.
“There is no justification for Joe Biden to maintain access to classified information. Consequently, we are immediately revoking his security clearances and halting his daily intelligence briefings,” Trump stated, noting that Biden had previously taken similar actions against him shortly after assuming office.
“He established this precedent in 2021 by directing the Intelligence Community (IC) to deny the 45th President of the United States (ME!) access to national security details, a privilege typically extended to former presidents,” Trump elaborated.
“The Hur Report indicated that Biden experiences ‘poor memory’ and, even at his best, could not be relied upon with sensitive information. I will always prioritize our national security — JOE, YOU’RE FIRED. MAKE AMERICA GREAT AGAIN!” he concluded.
Trump was referring to former Special Counsel Robert Hur, who produced a report regarding Biden’s alleged mishandling of classified documents, which underscored the former president’s frequent memory issues and contradicted his previous assertions.
In March, Hur testified that he discovered evidence suggesting that “pride and money” influenced Biden’s decision to keep classified documents. However, despite these findings, Hur did not recommend any criminal charges against the sitting president, as reported by Fox News.
