March 22, 2025
U S President Donald Trump, has directed federal agencies to revoke the security clearances of former Vice President Kamala Harris and former Secretary of State, Hillary Clinton and other individuals he sees as political adversaries.
Outlined in a memo, the directive stated that it was no longer in the national interest for the individuals to access classified information.
Trump instructed all relevant government agencies to take the necessary steps to revoke any active security clearances they held and to immediately block their access to classified materials.
The action also applied to individuals who had held positions in Congress, from previous administrations who had access to sensitive information while in office.
The dirtive read, “I have determined that it is no longer in the national interest for the following individuals to access classified information.
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“I hereby direct every executive department and agency head to take all additional action as necessary and consistent with existing law to revoke any active security clearances held by the aforementioned individuals and to immediately rescind their access to classified information,”
The memo is in line with Trump pattern of withdrawing security clearances from political opponents, a tactic he used earlier this year when he stripped former President Joe Biden of his clearance and halted his daily intelligence briefings.
The memo also confirmed the cancellation of clearances for key figures involved in the investigation of the January 6, 2021, insurrection, including former Republican Representatives Liz Cheney and Adam Kinzinger, who served on the House committee that investigated Trump’s role in the attack on the Capitol.
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In a CNN report earlier this month, Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard confirmed that, in line with Trump’s directives, she had revoked security clearances for several individuals named in the memo.
This included top Biden administration officials such as former Secretary of State Antony Blinken and former National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan, as well as prominent legal figures like New York Attorney General Letitia James and Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg, who have pursued legal actions against Trump.
In a separate memo issued same late Friday evening, Trump expanded his crackdown on the legal community, focusing on attorneys and law firms that have opposed his administration.
He instructed Attorney General Pam Bondi to review the actions of these legal entities, particularly those who filed lawsuits against his immigration policies.
