On Monday, Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard announced a review of security clearances, leading to the revocation of clearances for numerous current and former officials.
In a post on social media, Gabbard indicated that the security clearance purge was aimed at key aides to former President Joe Biden, intelligence personnel who labeled a 2020 attempt to unveil information from Hunter Biden’s laptop as “disinformation,” and those engaged in legal matters against President Trump.
“I have revoked security clearances and prohibited access to classified information for Antony Blinken, Jake Sullivan, Lisa Monaco, Mark Zaid, Norman Eisen, Letitia James, Alvin Bragg, and Andrew Weissman, along with the 51 signatories of the Hunter Biden ‘disinformation’ letter,” Gabbard wrote. “The President’s Daily Brief is no longer being provided to former President Biden.”
This action is part of a broader initiative that started soon after Trump’s inauguration on Jan. 20, aimed at penalizing and denying access to a wide range of individuals whom the president claims have “weaponized” the legal system against him.
The initiative has included the revocation of security clearances for staff at law firms who worked with former special counsel Jack Smith, as well as those who supported cases against Trump, including attorney Andrew Weissmann—who was part of Robert Mueller’s team investigating alleged Russian interference in the 2016 election—and Mark Zaid, an attorney who previously represented a whistleblower linked to Trump’s first impeachment.
Zaid responded to Gabbard’s announcement with a message on social media.
“Hmmm, so where are my due process protections? You are familiar with Executive Order 12,968, are you not? Still in effect!” Zaid remarked, referencing the 1995 presidential order that established a security program for federal employees handling classified information.
A representative for New York Attorney General Letitia James pointed to a CBS News statement released over a month ago, when Trump first disclosed his intentions to revoke security clearances.
“What security clearance?” the spokesperson inquired. “Either way, this is just another distraction from the real work the Attorney General is doing to uphold the rights of New Yorkers and all Americans.”
James’s office took legal action against Trump in 2023, achieving a civil ruling that found him liable for fraud and mandated that he pay nearly half a billion dollars to New York State. Trump has filed an appeal against the judgment.
Since Trump’s return to office, state attorneys general from Democratic backgrounds, including James, have continuously filed lawsuits challenging a range of Trump’s executive orders and policies.
