US President Donald Trump has said he is revoking Joe Biden’s security clearance and access to daily intelligence briefings after his predecessor did the same to him four years ago.
“There is no need for Joe Biden to continue receiving access to classified information,” Trump wrote in a post on his Truth Social platform.
“JOE, YOU’RE FIRED,” the Republican added in a reference to his catchphrase on the reality TV show, The Apprentice.
President Donald Trump has revoked the security clearances of more than four dozen former intelligence officials, accusing them of interfering in the 2020 election to benefit Joe Biden.
In a Friday evening post, Trump claimed Biden had “set this precedent in 2021” when he directed the Intelligence Community (IC) to block the 45th president—“ME!”—from receiving national security briefings, a courtesy traditionally extended to former presidents.
Trump also argued that Biden himself “could not be trusted with sensitive information,” citing a Justice Department investigation into Biden’s handling of classified documents.
The inquiry found no grounds for criminal charges but noted Biden’s memory lapses, including his inability to recall key life events such as the year his son Beau died or when he served as vice president. Biden dismissed that characterization at the time.
Since leaving office last month, Biden has largely stayed out of the spotlight and did not immediately respond to Trump’s move. The BBC reached out to Biden’s talent agency—recently signed to represent him—but received no immediate comment.
Biden’s 2021 decision to bar Trump from receiving intelligence briefings marked the first time an ex-president was denied such access. He justified the move by citing Trump’s “erratic behavior,” even before the January 6 Capitol riot, which Democrats accused Trump of inciting.
“What value is giving him an intelligence briefing?” Biden asked at the time. “What impact does he have at all, other than the fact he might slip and say something?”
Trump himself faced scrutiny over classified materials in 2022 when federal agents discovered sensitive documents at his Florida home. He was charged with willfully retaining defense information but pleaded not guilty. The case was later dropped after his re-election.
Since returning to office, Trump has moved to revoke security clearances and protections for several high-profile officials linked to the Biden administration. Among them is former Joint Chiefs of Staff Chairman Mark Milley, a vocal Trump critic, whose security clearance and detail have been rescinded. New Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth has also ordered an investigation into Milley’s “conduct” and a review of his military rank.
Trump also stripped former White House Chief Medical Adviser Anthony Fauci of his security detail, citing it as a routine decision, arguing that lifelong protection for government officials was unsustainable. Last month, he ended security protection for his own former Secretary of State Mike Pompeo and former National Security Adviser John Bolton.
Also, Trump has ordered the security clearances of two former CIA directors and multiple intelligence officials revoked.
These officials signed a 2020 letter suggesting reports about Hunter Biden’s laptop were a Russian disinformation campaign.
However, the laptop was later confirmed to be real, containing evidence of drug use, prostitution, and foreign business dealings.
(BBC)
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