Trump Revokes Security Clearances of Biden, Harris, and Other Key Officials

In a controversial move, U.S. President Donald Trump followed through on his threat to revoke the security clearances of his predecessor, Joe Biden, along with Vice President Kamala Harris and several senior former White House and national security officials.

The decision, announced on Friday, also affects prominent figures such as former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, Secretary of State Antony Blinken, and National Security Advisor Jacob Sullivan.

A memorandum issued by the White House and distributed to agency heads directed that these individuals no longer have access to classified information.

“I hereby direct every executive department and agency head … to revoke any active security clearances held by the aforementioned individuals,” Trump stated. Additionally, he ordered that these figures be barred from unescorted access to secure government facilities.

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Traditionally, former U.S. presidents and high-ranking national security officials retain their security clearances as a professional courtesy, often leveraging them for advisory roles or private sector opportunities.

However, Trump has taken a different approach, maintaining his long-standing grievances against Biden and continuing to claim, without evidence, that the 2020 election was stolen from him.

This move comes against the backdrop of Trump’s own legal troubles regarding classified materials. During his time out of office, he faced scrutiny over his handling of sensitive documents, which were found stored at his Mar-a-Lago estate. However, the investigation was dropped after he returned to office.

While many of the officials targeted were key figures in Biden’s administration, Trump also included former Republican lawmaker and outspoken critic Liz Cheney on the list.

Intelligence experts Fiona Hill and Alexander Vindman, both of whom previously served in the Trump White House and later became vocal critics, were also among those stripped of clearance.