In an unusual political move, former President Donald Trump has begun stripping security clearance from top-dogs-turned-dissenters. This list has upped the ante all the way up to the level of President Joe Biden and his whole immediate family. This latest ruling is notable for a number of big names. It protects President Biden, former Secretary of State Antony Blinken, former Wyoming representative Liz Cheney, former Illinois representative Adam Kinzinger, and New York Attorney General Letitia James, who notoriously prosecuted Trump for fraud.
Trump’s broad effort is focused on radical opponents like Fiona Hill, the foreign policy expert who bravely testified against him during his first impeachment. It goes after Alexander Vindman, the lieutenant colonel who gave key testimony in the impeachment hearings. The revocations are interpreted accordingly as direct retaliation by Trump for these individuals’ past actions and criticisms of Trump.
As the former president makes his announcement, speculation swirls around what’s to come politically for Joe Biden. NBC News recently reported that President Biden and First Lady Jill Biden are eager to lead by example. Their goal is to assist with fundraising and the rebuilding of the Democratic Party. Vice President Kamala Harris had a big political blow back in November. Whatever the merits of this turn of events, it illuminates the tectonic plate-shifting politics of the new Democratic Party.
Rebuffing the intelligence community, Trump has moved to retaliate by revoking security clearances. This action now adds these 51 signers of the Hunter Biden disinformation letter, expanding the number of people affected by his bad decision.
In an official statement, Trump justified his actions by stating:
"I have determined that it is no longer in the national interest for the following individuals to access classified information," – Donald Trump
This announcement further emphasizes his position that these people should no longer be trusted with sensitive government information.
Unfortunately, the full impacts of these revocations are still unfolding. More importantly, they are the latest to clearly signal a growing rift between Trump and key members of coal bunker political establishment. The inclusion of Letitia James on the list highlights the ongoing tensions stemming from her legal actions against Trump, while the targeting of Biden's family and other key political figures illustrates Trump's broad approach to addressing perceived adversaries.