Donald Trump is no new name when it comes to making bold moves. Ever since his second term began in January, the president has continued to wield his executive power in ways that rattle Washington.
Now, what’s his latest decision? Revoking the security clearances of political rivals Joe Biden, Kamala Harris, Hillary Clinton, Liz Cheney, and several others!
The White House announced this decision in a memo that was released on March 21. It stated that Trump had deemed it “no longer in the national interest” for these individuals to access classified information. The list also includes Secretary of State Antony Blinken, National Security Advisor Jacob Sullivan, Deputy Attorney General Lisa Monaco, and big legal figures like Mark Zaid, Norman Eisen, Letitia James, Alvin Bragg, and Andrew Weissmann.
Former Congress members Adam Kinzinger and Fiona Hill, along with former White House aide Alexander Vindman, also found their names on Trump’s clearance cut list. Perhaps most notably, the memo included former President Joe Biden and his family members, which seems to have made it clear that Trump’s actions extend well beyond political decorum.
Well, yes it is customary for former presidents and senior officials to maintain their security clearances as a courtesy but looks like Trump has broken with this long-standing tradition. “This action includes, but is not limited to, receipt of classified briefings, such as the President’s Daily Brief, and access to classified information held by any member of the intelligence community by virtue of the named individuals’ previous tenure in the Congress,” the memo declared.
He is not to be trusted!#TrumpIsUnfitForOffice
BBC News – Trump revokes security clearance for Harris, Clinton and othershttps://t.co/qxYcyqjYaG
— Aj (@kapur_aj) March 22, 2025
After this move was official, reactions have been instant. Many people labeled it as a politically motivated stunt. Some feel that the loss of clearance is symbolic, but for others particularly legal professionals like Zaid and Eisen it could hamper their work on sensitive federal cases.
Still, not all responses were outrageous. Adam Kinzinger, who has been a frequent Trump critic, didn’t hold back from ridiculing the decision. He pointed out that he retired from the military over a year ago and no longer holds clearance. “He’s a dumba–,” Kinzinger remarked.
Biden revoked Trumps security clearance.
Only gave it back weeks before the election.
They are security threats.
— Thomas Phelan (@Papatmph01) March 22, 2025
BBC reports indicate that most of those targeted by the revocation were either former Biden administration officials or vocal opponents of Trump’s presidency. But whether the move is a warning to Trump’s adversaries or simply a stunt to grab more headlines, its fair to say his unending love for dramatic moves keeps going on.
