The directive, issued on Friday, also included former Vice President Kamala Harris, former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, Biden’s Secretary of State Antony Blinken, and National Security Adviser Jacob Sullivan.
In a memorandum to government agencies, Trump ordered the immediate termination of their access to classified information and secure government facilities.
“I hereby direct every executive department and agency head to revoke any active security clearances held by the aforementioned individuals,” Trump stated. “Additionally, they are to be denied unescorted access to secure US government facilities.”
Typically, former US presidents and national security officials retain security clearances as a professional courtesy, which can also be useful for private sector employment. However, Trump—who has frequently accused Biden of wrongdoing in the 2020 election—chose to strip his predecessor and several of his allies of this privilege.
Trump himself had faced scrutiny for retaining classified documents at his Mar-a-Lago residence between his first and second terms. However, the investigation was dropped after he returned to office.
Many of the individuals affected by this decision were key figures in Biden’s administration, but the list also included notable critics of Trump, such as former Republican lawmaker Liz Cheney.
Additionally, Fiona Hill, a foreign policy expert who served in both Democratic and Republican administrations, and retired Army officer Alexander Vindman, who had raised concerns about Trump’s White House dealings with Russia, were also stripped of their clearances.
