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President Donald Trump has recently revoked the security clearances of Kamala Harris and Hillary Clinton, his previous opponents in presidential campaigns, as he pursues a wider strategy of dealing with political adversaries.
In an announcement made on Friday evening, Trump revealed that the former Vice President and the former First Lady and Secretary of State are among those he wishes to cut off from sensitive government intelligence. Trump has a history with both, having defeated Clinton in the 2016 election and Harris in the 2024 race.
The list extends to Fiona Hill, a Russia expert known for her critiques of Trump’s approach towards the Ukraine conflict during his initial term and recently as he seeks a resolution to the ongoing crisis.
“I have concluded that keeping these individuals from accessing classified information is in the best interest of the nation,” Trump stated in a memo directed at agency leaders.
Earlier, Trump had already earmarked Joe Biden for loss of security clearances, alongside several of his former high-level aides such as Jake Sullivan, ex-national security adviser, and Antony Blinken, previous Secretary of State.
This move underscores how Trump is dedicating the early phase of his second term to combating political adversaries. This encompasses Democrats and includes Republicans who resisted his comeback, notably Liz Cheney, the former congresswoman from Wyoming, who also had her security clearances removed.
Trump has also gone after Alvin Bragg, the Manhattan district attorney, and Letitia James, the New York State attorney general, following legal actions against him, including a conviction for falsifying business records last year.
By revoking access to sensitive information from former officials and political adversaries, Trump continues to challenge the norms of American democracy. Traditionally, even critics of a sitting president might require access to such information in the interest of national security.
Additionally, this action surfaces amid wider apprehensions about Trump pushing the boundaries of his constitutional powers in matters like deporting and detaining certain immigrants, coupled with his ambitious efforts to slash the federal government’s workforce and initiate spending freezes.
