President Donald Trump has announced his decision to revoke the security clearances of former President Joe Biden. This action mirrors Biden's decision to strip Trump of his clearances four years ago. Historically, former presidents are granted intelligence briefings after leaving office, but this tradition was disrupted in 2021 when Biden revoked Trump's access shortly after his inauguration.
The removal of Trump's clearances by Biden was a controversial move at the time, justified by Biden's claims of Trump's alleged erratic behavior. Now, in what seems to be a retaliatory move, Trump has taken to his Truth Social platform to announce that he is following the precedent set by Biden.
During his announcement, Trump did not hold back in critiquing the cognitive abilities of Joe Biden. Referring to the investigation led by special counsel Robert Hur, Trump pointed out a report that allegedly described Biden as having a "poor memory." This investigation was related to Biden's alleged mishandling of classified materials after his term as vice president. Despite the investigation, prosecutors concluded that charges were unwarranted.
Trump wrote on Truth Social, "The Hur Report revealed that Biden suffers from 'poor memory' and, even in his 'prime,' could not be trusted with sensitive information. I will always protect our National Security — JOE, YOU'RE FIRED."
At the time of writing, a spokesperson for Trump was not available for immediate comment. This development raises questions about the value of providing former presidents with intelligence briefings. Biden himself posed a similar question in an interview with CBS News four years ago, questioning the significance of such briefings when there might be a risk of sensitive information being unintentionally disclosed.
