Trump revokes security clearances of Kamala Harris, Hillary Clinton and other prominent Dems
President Trump made headlines on Friday night when he announced the revocation of security clearances for several prominent Democrats, including former Vice President Kamala Harris, former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, and various members of the Biden administration. This decision follows a previous announcement last month in which Mr. Trump revoked former President Joe Biden’s security clearance and extended the revocation to the entire Biden family in a memo released on Friday.
Among those who lost their access to classified information and security clearances were former Secretary of State Antony Blinken, former Rep. Adam Kinzinger, retired Lt. Col. Alexander Vindman, New York Attorney General Letitia James, Manhattan Attorney General Alvin Bragg, former White House National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan, former Rep. Elizabeth Cheney, former White House Russia expert Fiona Hill, former Deputy Attorney General Lisa Monaco, former U.S. Ambassador to the Czech Republic Norman Eisen, and attorney Mark Zaid, known for representing the whistleblower who raised concerns about Mr. Trump’s dealings with Ukraine.
This move by President Trump comes as part of a broader effort to address what he perceives as individuals who “weaponized” the intelligence community or the law against him. For example, Cheney and Kinzinger played key roles in the House select committee investigation into the Jan. 6 Capitol insurrection, while Bragg was involved in the New York criminal case that led to a conviction of Mr. Trump on multiple state counts. James also sued Mr. Trump and his organization for fraud, resulting in a significant verdict against them.
This isn’t the first time President Trump has revoked security clearances of former officials. Retired Gen. Mark Milley, who served as chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff in both the Trump and Biden administrations, saw his clearance revoked after a public falling out with Mr. Trump. Additionally, John Bolton, former national security adviser, had his clearance revoked over a book he authored about his time in the role, which the president claimed contained sensitive information.
These actions by President Trump have sparked controversy and drawn criticism from various quarters. However, the president remains steadfast in his decision to revoke security clearances of those he deems to have acted against his administration’s interests. The repercussions of these revocations are likely to be felt across the political landscape in the coming days and weeks.
Contributors to this report include Caitlin Yilek, Melissa Quinn, and Graham Kates. Faris Tanyos serves as the news editor for CBSNews.com, overseeing the writing and editing of stories and tracking breaking news. With a background in digital news production at local news stations, Tanyos brings a wealth of experience to his role.
