US President Donald Trump has announced the revocation of Joe Biden’s security clearance and access to daily intelligence briefings, mirroring a similar action taken against him four years prior.
Trump stated in a post on his Truth Social platform, “There is no need for Joe Biden to continue receiving access to classified information.”
He added, “JOE, YOU’RE FIRED,” referencing his well-known catchphrase from the reality television series, The Apprentice.
The former president has previously revoked the security clearances of over forty former intelligence officials, whom he accused of influencing the 2020 election in favor of Biden.
In a post on Friday evening, Trump remarked that Biden “set this precedent in 2021 by directing the Intelligence Community (IC) to prevent the 45th President of the United States (ME!) from accessing National Security details, a courtesy typically extended to former presidents.”
Trump asserted that Biden “could not be trusted with sensitive information,” pointing to a Justice Department investigation into the Democrat’s handling of classified documents. While the inquiry concluded that criminal charges were unnecessary, it noted Biden’s poor memory.
The investigation revealed that Biden struggled to recall significant personal events, such as the year of his son Beau’s death and his tenure as vice president under Barack Obama. Biden has since disputed this characterization.
The former president, who has maintained a lower profile since leaving office last month, did not immediately respond to Trump’s announcement on Friday.
The BBC reached out to Biden’s talent agency, which recently signed him, but did not receive an immediate reply.
In 2021, Biden became the first former president to be denied access to classified intelligence briefings, a privilege traditionally afforded to ex-presidents.
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He defended the decision by stating that Trump was untrustworthy due to his “erratic behavior,” even prior to the January 2021 Capitol riot, which Democrats alleged Trump incited during the final days of his presidency.
“What purpose does it serve to provide him with an intelligence briefing?” Biden remarked at that time. “What influence does he hold, aside from the possibility that he might inadvertently disclose something?”
In 2022, federal agents found classified documents at Trump’s residence in Florida, leading to charges of willfully retaining defense information. Trump pleaded not guilty, and the case was eventually dismissed after his re-election.
Since resuming office, Trump has initiated actions to revoke the security clearances and protections of various high-ranking officials associated with the Biden administration.
Among those affected is former top U.S. military leader Mark Milley, who has been a prominent critic of Trump, and whose security clearance and detail have been rescinded. The new Secretary of Defense, Pete Hegseth, has also mandated an investigation into Milley’s “conduct” and a review of his military rank.
Additionally, Trump has withdrawn the security detail of former chief medical advisor Anthony Fauci, who was instrumental in the U.S. response to the COVID-19 pandemic. Trump characterized this decision as “very standard,” asserting that it is impractical for everyone who has served in government to retain security protection indefinitely.
He also terminated security protection for his former Secretary of State, Mike Pompeo, and for his former National Security Adviser, John Bolton, last month. Furthermore, the president has ordered the revocation of security clearances for numerous former intelligence officials, including two ex-CIA directors, who had signed a letter in 2020 claiming that allegations regarding a laptop owned by Joe Biden’s son, Hunter, were a Russian fabrication.
However, the laptop, which contained evidence of drug use, prostitution, and foreign business dealings, was indeed authentic.
