In a bold move that has sent shockwaves through the political landscape, President Donald Trump has rescinded the security clearances of a host of top Democrats and other political adversaries.
This list includes former President Joe Biden, former Vice President Kamala Harris, and former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, among others.
As reported by The Washington Times, Trump released a memo late Friday, stating that he was revoking the clearances of at least 15 individuals who have either acted against him or heavily criticized him. He justified this action by stating that it is no longer in the national interest for these individuals to retain their security clearances.
The list of those stripped of their security clearances is extensive, including not only Biden, Harris, and Clinton, but also former Secretary of State Antony Blinken, former Biden national security adviser Jake Sullivan, and former Representatives Liz Cheney and Adam Kinzinger. New York District Attorney Alvin Bragg and New York Attorney General Letitia James, both of whom prosecuted criminal cases against Trump, were also included.
The revocation extends beyond these political figures, reaching into the Biden-era Justice Department with the inclusion of former official Lisa Monaco. Attorneys Mark Zaid and Norm Eisen, along with Fiona Hill and Alexander Vindman, who both served as diplomats in the first Trump administration and played roles in his first impeachment trial in 2019, were also affected.
In addition to losing their security clearances, these individuals have also had their unescorted access to secure United States Government facilities rescinded. This move effectively blocks them from accessing classified documents and entering government buildings, although the revocation is largely symbolic.
The response to this move has been swift and vocal. Eisen, for instance, took to social media to express his defiance, stating, Who does he think I am, a big law firm or a billionaire whos gonna back down? It just makes me file even more lawsuits! Kinzinger, who retired from the military a year ago, pointed out that he no longer even has a security clearance, while Zaid noted that this was the third time Trump had revoked his security clearance.
The revocation of Biden's security clearance follows a precedent set by Biden himself. After Trump left office in 2021, Biden banned him from receiving intelligence briefings, citing Trump's erratic behavior leading up to the Jan. 6 attack on the U.S. Capitol as a security risk.
Since his return to the White House last month, Trump has revoked the security clearances of approximately 50 former intelligence officials. In an executive order issued shortly after his inauguration, Trump stripped 49 former senior officials of their security clearances for signing a letter in 2020 claiming that the scandalous data on Hunter Bidens laptop was Russian disinformation. Trump labeled the letter as misleading and inappropriate political coordination with Bidens 2020 presidential campaign.
In a further demonstration of his assertive stance, Trump announced earlier this week that he was withdrawing Secret Service protections for Bidens children Hunter and Ashley, effective immediately. This move, like the revocation of security clearances, underscores Trump's commitment to challenging those he perceives as political adversaries, and serves as a stark reminder of the contentious nature of contemporary American politics.
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