President Donald Trump has revoked the security clearances of several high-ranking Biden administration officials, including former Secretary of State Antony Blinken, former National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan, and Deputy Attorney General Lisa Monaco, the White House confirmed on Saturday. The move comes just a day after Trump stripped former President Joe Biden of his security clearance and access to daily intelligence briefings.
A Sweeping Purge of Security Access
Alongside Blinken, Sullivan, and Monaco, Trump also revoked the clearances of Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg and New York Attorney General Letitia James—two officials who spearheaded legal actions against him in New York. Additionally, attorneys Andrew Weissmann, Mark Zaid, and Norm Eisen, all of whom have played roles in investigations against Trump, were also affected by the decision.
In an interview with the New York Post, Trump directly targeted Blinken, stating: “Bad guy. Take away his passes.”
Letitia James’ office recently filed a lawsuit alongside 18 other Democratic attorneys general regarding the Department of Government Efficiency’s access to the Treasury Department’s payment system. Meanwhile, Eisen, a key figure in Trump’s first impeachment, currently represents anonymous FBI agents seeking to block public identification of those involved in the January 6 investigation.
Breaking Precedent in National Security
Former U.S. presidents and senior officials traditionally retain their security clearances to provide continuity in national security and foreign policy discussions. However, Trump’s actions further dismantle this long-standing norm, intensifying partisan tensions in Washington.
The decision follows Trump’s Friday announcement revoking Biden’s security clearance, citing his “poor memory” as noted in Special Counsel Robert Hur’s report.
“There is no need for Joe Biden to continue receiving access to classified information,” Trump wrote on Truth Social. “He set this precedent in 2021 when he instructed the Intelligence Community (IC) to stop the 45th President of the United States (ME!) from accessing details on National Security.”
Biden initially justified his 2021 move by arguing that Trump’s “erratic behavior” posed a risk to national security. Now, Trump is using that same justification against Biden’s former officials.
A Pattern of Security Revocations
This decision is the latest in a series of security clearance removals under Trump’s leadership. Just last month, U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth revoked the security detail and clearance of retired Army General Mark Milley, the former Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. Milley, once Trump’s top military advisor, became a prominent critic of the former president after his retirement in 2023.
While the immediate consequences of these revocations remain unclear, the move underscores Trump’s broader efforts to reshape national security policies, sidelining officials who have opposed him.
Blinken and other affected officials have yet to publicly respond. The Biden administration has not issued an official statement regarding the security clearance revocations, but the move is expected to fuel further legal and political clashes in Washington.
With Trump leveraging security access as a tool against political rivals, questions continue to mount over whether future administrations will follow suit, further eroding the traditional bipartisan handling of national security clearances.
