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US President Donald Trump has revoked Joe Biden’s security clearance, barring his predecessor from receiving daily intelligence briefings as he continues a political revenge campaign throughout Washington.
“There is no need for Joe Biden to continue receiving access to classified information. Therefore, we are immediately revoking Joe Biden’s Security Clearances, and stopping his daily Intelligence Briefings,” Trump wrote on his Truth Social platform on Friday.
The president’s move was payback for when Biden pulled Trump’s security clearance in the wake of the January 6 attack on the Capitol: “He set this precedent in 2021,” Trump said.
The revocation was the latest in a campaign of retribution from Trump, which began hours after he was sworn in a second time. He has already revoked the security clearance and protective detail for John Bolton, his former national security adviser who has become one his harshest critics.
He cancelled protection for Anthony Fauci, the immunologist who spearheaded the country’s response to the Covid-19 pandemic, and for former secretary of state Mike Pompeo.
Biden’s secret service protection is still in place.
Trump campaigned on promises to go after his political enemies in government, with his vendetta extending to the intelligence community and law enforcement. Earlier this week, FBI agents sued the Trump administration to prevent it from publicly naming staff involved in a probe into the January 6 Capitol attack in 2021, which sought to overturn the results of the 2020 election.
“Never again will the immense power of the state be weaponised to persecute political opponents,” he said in his second inaugural address.
On his first night in office, he signed an executive order on the “weaponisation” of government, authorising sweeping reviews of US intelligence and other agencies to rectify “past misconduct” through “appropriate action”.
For taking away Biden’s clearance, Trump cited the politically damaging 2024 report by Robert Hur, the justice department special counsel who said Biden was a “well-meaning, elderly man with a poor memory”.
“The Hur Report revealed that Biden suffers from ‘poor memory’ and, even in his ‘prime,’ could not be trusted with sensitive information,” Trump said. “I will always protect our National Security — JOE, YOU’RE FIRED. MAKE AMERICA GREAT AGAIN!”
As a courtesy, former presidents traditionally continue receiving daily intelligence briefings, which can include classified information.
There was no immediate response from Biden.