The executive order also targets Hillary Clinton, Antony Blinken, former secretaries of state, along with some Republicans.
US President Donald Trump has rescinded the security clearance of his predecessor, Joe Biden, in a significant action that also affects former Vice President Kamala Harris and numerous high-ranking former White House and national security officials.
“I hereby direct every executive department and agency head … to revoke any active security clearances held by the aforementioned individuals,” Trump stated in his memorandum released on Friday.
This latest executive move by Trump is viewed as part of a trend of retaliation he has executed against political adversaries, including Biden and other former senior officials who typically retain their security clearances as a matter of courtesy.
In addition to Biden and Harris, the list of individuals stripped of their access to classified information includes Biden’s family along with former secretary of state Antony Blinken and national security adviser Jake Sullivan.
Hillary Clinton, the former secretary of state and presidential candidate, was also included on the list.
In the memorandum distributed to agency heads by the White House communications office, Trump indicated that the listed officials should no longer be permitted to access classified materials.
“I also direct all executive department and agency heads to revoke unescorted access to secure United States Government facilities from these individuals.”
The Trump-Biden feud
Trump, who continues to baselessly assert that Biden conspired to steal the 2020 election, which he lost, remains infuriated with his predecessor and frequently lashes out.
In 2021, Biden revoked the security clearance for Trump, who was at that time also a former president.
Trump himself was investigated for violating security protocols during the interval between his first and second terms, related to his retention of classified White House documents at his Mar-a-Lago resort.
This investigation concluded after Trump returned to office.
Many individuals on Trump’s list were prominent political appointees from his Democratic predecessor’s administration; however, former Republican congresswoman and vocal Trump critic Liz Cheney is also among those named.
Fiona Hill, a British-born intelligence analyst who has served in both Democratic and Republican administrations, including as an adviser in Trump’s White House, was also targeted.
She is joined by former colleague Alexander Vindman, a retired US Army officer born in Kyiv who faced backlash from Trump after voicing concerns about White House interactions with Russia.
Mark Zaid, a national security lawyer in Washington known for representing whistleblowers, and Adam Kinzinger, a former Republican congressman and strong Trump critic, were also part of the list.
