US President Donald Trump followed through on a threat to revoke the security clearances of his predecessor, Joe Biden, along with several senior former White House and national security officials.
The list of individuals stripped of access to classified information includes Biden, his family members, Vice President Kamala Harris, and former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton. Also named were Biden’s Secretary of State Antony Blinken and National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan.
In a memo to agency heads, distributed by the White House communications office, Trump directed that the named officials no longer be granted access to classified material. He wrote, “I hereby direct every executive department and agency head … to revoke any active security clearances held by the aforementioned individuals,” and further instructed that they be denied unescorted access to secure US Government facilities.
Traditionally, former US presidents and senior national security officials retain security clearances as a courtesy, and some find them valuable when seeking private sector employment. However, Trump, who continues to falsely claim that Biden orchestrated a theft of the 2020 election, has been vocal in his disdain for his predecessor.
Trump himself was investigated for security violations after storing classified documents at his Mar-a-Lago resort, an investigation that ended when he returned to office.
Many of those on Trump’s list were prominent political appointees from the previous Democratic administration. However, former Republican lawmaker and vocal Trump critic Liz Cheney was also included. Additionally, Fiona Hill, a British-born intelligence expert who served under both Democratic and Republican administrations, including as an advisor during Trump’s presidency, was targeted, as was her former colleague, Alexander Vindman. Vindman, a retired Army officer originally from Kyiv, came into conflict with Trump after expressing concerns about the White House’s dealings with Russia.
