Washington - Saba:
The White House announced that US President Donald Trump restricted the access of former Secretary of State Anthony Blinken and former National Security Assistant Jake Sullivan to classified information yesterday, Saturday.
Reuters reported, citing informed sources in the White House, that Trump revoked the security clearances of Blinken and Sullivan and denied them access to classified information, just one day after implementing a similar procedure against his predecessor Joe Biden.
According to Reuters data, former US Assistant Attorney General Lisa Monaco, as well as New York State Attorney General Letitia James and Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg, were denied access to classified information.
All of them have previously handled cases against Trump.
On February 7, the US president restricted Biden’s access to classified information, accompanied by the words “Joe, you’re fired,” preventing him from accessing daily intelligence briefings.
While the revocation of clearances may not have immediate effects, it is another sign of the widening rift in Washington.
Former US presidents typically receive intelligence briefings to enable them to advise current presidents on national security and foreign policy issues.
In 2021, President Joe Biden revoked the security clearance of then-president Trump, and last month, US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth revoked the personal security detail and security clearance of retired General Mark Milley, the former chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff.
Many of Biden’s diplomats worked with incoming Trump administration officials in the weeks leading up to January 20, when Trump took office, on issues including the conflict in Ukraine.
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