Former President Joe Biden will no longer receive classified intelligence briefings after President Donald Trump revoked his security clearance. Trump announced the decision Friday, citing national security risks and Biden’s deteriorating cognitive state.
Trump’s move follows Biden’s 2021 decision to cut off Trump from intelligence reports, which Biden justified by claiming Trump was unpredictable and a potential security risk. Now, Trump has reversed the action, arguing that Biden himself cannot be trusted with sensitive material.
The decision comes after Special Counsel Robert Hur’s report, which found Biden had taken classified documents after his time as vice president. The report also described Biden’s memory as unreliable, stating he had difficulty recalling important events from his past. Prosecutors declined to charge him, believing a jury would view him as a well-meaning elderly man with memory problems.
Trump stated that Biden’s mental decline made it impossible for him to responsibly handle national security information. “There is no need for Joe Biden to continue receiving access to classified information,” Trump said in his announcement.
Along with Biden, Trump has taken action against former intelligence officials who attempted to discredit the Hunter Biden laptop story before the 2020 election. Many of those officials lost their security clearances after signing a letter claiming the laptop had the hallmarks of a Russian disinformation campaign.
Biden has not responded to Trump’s decision. Sitting presidents have the authority to determine which former officials receive intelligence briefings, making Trump’s action fully within his executive power.
