In a late-night memo on Friday, President Donald Trump directed federal agencies to revoke the security clearances of over a dozen individuals he perceives as political adversaries, including former Vice President Kamala Harris and former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton.
“I have determined that it is no longer in the national interest for the following individuals to access classified information,” Trump wrote in the memo. “I hereby direct every executive department and agency head to take all additional action as necessary and consistent with existing law to revoke any active security clearances held by the aforementioned individuals and to immediately rescind their access to classified information.”
The memo applies to all classified briefings and any access these individuals may have had to classified information based on previous roles in Congress or government positions. This move is another example of Trump using his presidential powers to pull security clearances from individuals he considers opponents.
This decision follows Trump’s February statement when he claimed to have “immediately” revoked former President Joe Biden’s security clearance and stopped his daily intelligence briefings. Trump has also used similar measures to target top law firms involved in investigations against him.
Revocation Includes Political Rivals and Republican Critics
The memo not only affects Trump’s Democratic rivals, such as those who ran against him in the 2016 and 2024 elections, but also includes two Republicans, former Wyoming Rep. Liz Cheney and former Illinois Rep. Adam Kinzinger, who were members of the House committee that investigated his involvement in the January 6, 2021, insurrection.
Earlier this month, Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard announced that she had followed Trump’s directive by revoking the security clearances of several individuals named in Friday’s memo, including former Secretary of State Antony Blinken, former National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan, and prominent attorneys like New York Attorney General Letitia James and Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg.
In another late-night memo on Friday, Trump revisited past grievances with lawyers who have opposed him. He vowed to punish them by rescinding security clearances and canceling federal contracts held by law firms that filed lawsuits against his administration or attempted to block immigration initiatives.
Trump directed Attorney General Pam Bondi to review the actions of lawyers and firms considered by the administration to have filed “frivolous lawsuits” against the government, as part of his broader crackdown on the legal community in the U.S.
What The Author Thinks
In my opinion, Trump’s decision to revoke the security clearances of political rivals and legal opponents is a clear abuse of presidential power. While security clearance revocations are meant to address national security concerns, using them as a tool for political retribution sets a dangerous precedent and undermines trust in the government’s fairness.
Featured image credit: Brett Weinstein via Flickr
Follow us for more breaking news on DMR