Trump revokes Biden's security clearance

US President Donald Trump

US President Donald Trump has announced that he is revoking Joe Biden's security clearance and access to daily intelligence briefings, mirroring a move Biden made against him four years ago.

There is no reason for Joe Biden to continue receiving classified intelligence," Trump stated on his Truth Social platform. Adding a signature touch, Trump declared, "JOE, YOU'RE FIRED," referencing his famous catchphrase from The Apprentice.

Trump has already rescinded the security clearance of over four dozen former intelligence officials, whom he accused of influencing the 2020 election in Biden's favor.

On Friday evening, Trump explained that Biden "set this precedent in 2021 by instructing the Intelligence Community (IC) to block the 45th President of the United States (ME!) from accessing national security details—a courtesy typically extended to former presidents."

Citing a Justice Department investigation into Biden's handling of classified documents, Trump asserted that Biden "could not be trusted with sensitive information." The investigation concluded that while no criminal charges were necessary, Biden displayed memory lapses, including difficulty recalling significant events such as the year his son, Beau, passed away and his tenure as vice president.

Biden previously dismissed that characterization, but he has yet to respond to Trump’s recent decision. The BBC reached out to Biden's talent agency, which recently signed him, but no comment has been provided.

Biden originally revoked Trump's access to intelligence briefings in 2021, marking the first time a former president was denied such information. He justified the decision by citing Trump's "erratic behavior," even before the January 6 Capitol riot, which Democrats accused Trump of inciting.

"What value is there in giving him an intelligence briefing? What impact does he have at all, other than the risk of him slipping up and saying something?" Biden questioned at the time.

In 2022, federal agents discovered classified documents at Trump’s Mar-a-Lago estate, leading to charges of willfully retaining defense information. Trump pleaded not guilty, and the case was eventually dismissed following his re-election.

Since reassuming office, Trump has taken further steps to revoke the security clearances and protections of officials linked to the Biden administration. Among those affected is former top U.S. military commander Mark Milley, a vocal Trump critic. New Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth has also ordered an investigation into Milley’s conduct and a review of his military grade.

Additionally, Trump has revoked the security detail of former White House chief medical adviser Anthony Fauci, who led the nation’s response to COVID-19. Defending the decision, Trump said, This is a standard practice. Not everyone can have lifetime security just because they once worked in government.

He previously withdrew security protection for his former Secretary of State Mike Pompeo and former National Security Adviser John Bolton last month.

Trump has also ordered the revocation of security clearances for dozens of former intelligence officials, including two ex-CIA directors, who signed a 2020 letter suggesting reports about Hunter Biden’s laptop were a Russian disinformation campaign. Subsequent investigations confirmed the laptop’s authenticity, revealing a trove of personal and business-related data, including evidence of drug abuse and foreign dealings.