US President Donald Trump has removed security clearances for his previous Democratic opponents in the elections, including Kamala Harris and Hillary Clinton, along with several other former high-ranking officials.
The move comes after Trump said in February he was revoking security clearance for his predecessor Joe Biden. He confirmed that move in the latest announcement, adding that he was also revoking the security clearance of "any other member" of the Biden family.
“I have concluded that allowing the following individuals to access classified information is no longer in the nation’s best interests,” stated Trump’s memorandum.
Typically, former U.S. presidents and high-ranking security officials retain their security clearances out of respect.
The revoked clearances included those of former Secretary of State Antony Blinken, along with ex-Republican politicians Liz Cheney and Adam Kinzinger. Additionally, Fiona Hill, who previously served as an advisor on Russian matters during President Donald Trump’s initial term, was also affected.
The additional names included: Jake Sullivan, Lisa Monaco, Mark Zaid, Norman Eisen, Letitia James, Alvin Bragg, Andrew Weissmann, and Alexander Vindman.
Earlier, Trump revoked the security clearances of over four dozen ex-intelligence officials who he claimed interfered with the 2020 election to benefit Biden, though he offered no proof.
In 2021, President Biden, who was in office at the time, denied former competitor Trump access to intelligence briefings, referring to his "unpredictable behavior."
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