News Brief
Joe Biden, Kamala Harris, Hillary Clinton Among Those Stripped Of Security Clearances By Trump—Here's Why
US President Donald Trump (File Photo) (Representative Image)
US President Donald Trump has revoked security clearances for former President Joe Biden and several top officials from his administration, asserting that their continued access to classified information is "no longer in the national interest."
According to a memorandum from the White House, the individuals stripped of security clearance include former Vice President Kamala Harris, former Secretary of State Antony Blinken, and former National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan.
Former US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton has also lost her clearance.
Trump also directed “all executive department and agency heads to revoke unescorted access to secure United States Government facilities from these individuals.”
The rescinded access includes receipt of classified briefings, such as the President’s Daily Brief, and access to classified information held by "any member of the Intelligence Community by virtue of the named individuals’ previous tenure in the Congress", according to the White House memorandum.
According to a Bloomberg report, other names listed in the memo include:
Former Representatives Elizabeth Cheney and Adam Kinzinger
New York Attorney General Letitia James
Alexander Vindman, a former national security official who played a key role in Trump’s first impeachment
Former US Deputy Attorney General Lisa Monaco
Fiona Hill, senior director for European and Russian affairs on the National Security Council during Trump’s first administration
Andrew Weissmann, one of the top prosecutors who aided former special counsel Robert Mueller’s probe into the 2016 Trump campaign’s alleged coordination with Russian officials.
Mark Zaid, a national security lawyer who has represented hundreds of cases involving intelligence officers, federal employees, and whistleblowers
Norman Eisen, a former Obama administration official who represented a group of workers who helped investigate the 6 January 2021 attack on the US Capitol
“Any other member” of Biden’s family.
