President Trump has withdrawn security clearance and access to sensitive information from several politicians, including his election rivals, former Vice President Kamala Harris, former MP Liz Cheney (R-Wyo.), and Hillary Clinton.
In a memo, Trump stated that it was not in the national interest for them to maintain their access, and ordered the revocation of their security clearances and classified information access.
Additionally, he directed enforcement agencies to take steps to revoke non-essential access to US government facilities.
This revocation is believed to have affected former diplomats, lawmakers, and President Biden’s family, who may no longer have access to classified briefings.
Other individuals, including former Secretary of State Anthony Blinken, national security adviser Jake Sullivan, and other officials, have also had their access to classified information revoked.
Prior to this, President Trump had already taken steps to roll back access to classified information and security protections for his political opponents, starting in January when he revoked Biden’s security clearance.
This decision has been met with controversy, with Trump stating that some individuals’ behavior was not in line with the law.
Prior to the revocation, the President had also cancelled security clearances for John Bolton and Mike Pompeo, saying there were people who “we don’t respect, and we don’t think are doing the right thing.”
Lastly, the President stated that if any of the affected individuals obtain security clearance through private sector employment, the US government agencies will notify those individuals that they are no longer authorized to access confidential information.
