US President Donald Trump has announced that he is “immediately revoking” former President Joe Biden’s security clearance.
This decision, made on Friday, February 8, 2025, means that Biden will no longer receive intelligence briefings, a courtesy typically extended to former presidents.
Trump’s reasoning behind this move is rooted in a sense of reciprocity.
He claims that Biden set a precedent in 2021 when he revoked Trump’s security clearance, citing concerns over Trump’s “erratic behavior”.
Biden had argued that Trump could not be trusted with access to classified information, and Trump is now using the same logic to justify his decision.
The situation is further complicated by a report from special counsel Robert Hur, who investigated Biden’s handling of classified materials after his vice presidency. According to Trump, the report revealed that Biden suffers from “poor memory” and cannot be trusted with sensitive information.
In a broader context, Trump’s decision is seen as part of a larger pattern of revoking security clearances. In one of his first executive actions since returning to the White House, Trump revoked the security clearances of dozens of former intelligence officials who had criticized him.
