Trump pulls latest petty move on Biden with security clearance announcement

Washington DC - President Donald Trump made good Friday on a threat to revoke the security clearances of his predecessor Joe Biden and several senior former White House and national security officials.

President Donald Trump revoked the security clearance of his predecessor, Joe Biden, as well as other members of the last administration.
President Donald Trump revoked the security clearance of his predecessor, Joe Biden, as well as other members of the last administration.  © Collage: Annabelle GORDON & Allison ROBBERT / AFP

The list of names stripped of their authorization to see state secrets included Biden, his family members, and former vice-president, and Trump presidential rival Kamala Harris.

Former secretary of state and defeated presidential candidate Hillary Clinton was on the list, along with Biden's secretary of state Antony Blinken and national security advisor Jacob Sullivan.

In a memorandum to agency heads and distributed by the White House communications office, Trump said the named officials should no longer be allowed access to classified material.

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"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."

Former US presidents and national security officials traditionally retain a security clearance as a courtesy, But Trump, who continues to lie about Biden stealing the 2020 election, has remained furious with his predecessor and lashes out frequently.

Many of the individuals on the list were high-profile political appointees of the Democrat, but former Republican lawmaker and vocal Trump critic Liz Cheney is also named.

Fiona Hill, a British-born intelligence analyst who served under both Democrat and Republican administrations, including as an advisor in Trump's White House, is targeted.

She is joined by former colleague Alexander Vindman, a Kyiv-born retired senior officer in the US Army who angered Trump by expressing concerns about White House contacts with Russia.

Cover photo: Collage: Annabelle GORDON & Allison ROBBERT / AFP

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