Politics
Trump Revokes Biden’s Security Clearances, Declaring ‘No Need’
By Jake Beardslee · February 8, 2025
Trump Revokes Biden’s Security Clearances
In a move echoing past political tensions, President Donald Trump announced on Friday that he is revoking former President Joe Biden’s security clearances and access to intelligence briefings. Trump’s decision follows Biden’s 2021 move to cut Trump off from intelligence reports shortly after taking office.“There is no need for Joe Biden to continue receiving access to classified information,” Trump declared on Truth Social. “Therefore, we are immediately revoking Joe Biden’s Security Clearances and stopping his daily Intelligence Briefings.” GREG LOVETT/PALM BEACH POST / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images
Biden’s 2021 Move to Cut Trump Off
Biden’s previous decision to restrict Trump’s access to intelligence came a month after the January 6, 2021, attack on the U.S. Capitol. At the time, Biden justified his move by citing Trump’s “erratic behavior unrelated to the insurrection.” He questioned the necessity of providing intelligence briefings to Trump, asking, “What value is giving him an intelligence briefing? What impact does he have at all, other than the fact he might slip and say something?”Trump framed his decision as a precedent set by Biden, stating that Biden “even in his ‘prime,’ could not be trusted with sensitive information.” Josh Morgan / USA TODAY NETWORK / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images
Targeting Former Intelligence Officials
In addition to revoking Biden’s clearances, Trump has also targeted several former intelligence officials. These include individuals who signed a 2020 letter suggesting that emails from Hunter Biden’s laptop had “all the classic earmarks of a Russian information operation,” according to PBS News. GREG LOVETT/PALM BEACH POST / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images