US President Donald Trump has revoked the security clearances of Former President Joe Biden, Former vice-president Kamala Harris, Former secretary of state Hillary Clinton and several senior former White House and national security officials.
In a memorandum to agency heads and distributed by the White House communications office yesterday, Trump said the named officials should no longer be allowed access to classified material. He directed every executive department and agency head to revoke any active security clearances held by these leaders.
“I hereby direct every executive department and agency head … to revoke any active security clearances held by the aforementioned individuals,” Trump said in his memorandum on Friday.
Trump’s latest executive action is seen as part of a pattern of reprisal that he has carried out targeting political opponents, including Biden and other former senior White House officials, who traditionally retain their security clearance as a courtesy.