On March 21, 2025, President Donald Trump issued a memo revoking the security clearances of Joe Biden, Kamala Harris, and Hillary Clinton, a move that effectively cuts them off from classified intelligence briefings and access to sensitive government facilities. This action, announced late Friday night, strips these prominent Democrats of a privilege traditionally extended to former presidents and high-ranking officials, ensuring they are sidelined from the inner workings of government. Trump’s rationale, as stated in the memo, was that it is “no longer in the national interest” for these individuals to have access to classified information—a clear signal that he views them as political liabilities who could leak or misuse sensitive data to undermine his agenda. By removing their clearances, Trump not only limits their influence but also sends a message to his base that he’s taking a hard stance against the “swamp” he’s long promised to drain.
 

The revocation extends beyond Biden, Harris, and Clinton, targeting a broader list of 15 perceived “troublemakers” who have crossed Trump in various ways. This includes former Secretary of State Antony Blinken, former National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan, and New York Attorney General Letitia James, who prosecuted Trump for fraud, as well as Republican critics like former Representatives Liz Cheney and Adam Kinzinger, who served on the January 6th investigation committee. Even the entire Biden family was named in the memo, a sweeping move that underscores Trump’s intent to punish not just individuals but their networks. Earlier actions in 2025 also saw Trump revoke clearances for figures like retired General Mark Milley, who clashed with Trump over a 2020 photo op, and over 50 former intelligence officials who signed a 2020 letter suggesting Hunter Biden’s laptop was Russian disinformation. These revocations, some already enacted by Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard on March 10, reflect a pattern of using security clearances as a tool to silence dissent and exact revenge on those who have challenged Trump’s authority or narrative.
 

While Trump’s supporters see this as a brilliant strategy to neutralize political enemies and safeguard national security, critics argue it’s a petty and dangerous overreach that sets a troubling precedent for weaponizing access to classified information. The move mirrors Biden’s 2021 decision to bar Trump from intelligence briefings after January 6th, citing his “erratic behavior,” but Trump’s broader sweep—targeting entire families and a wide array of critics—takes the tactic to a new level. By cutting these figures out of the loop, Trump ensures they cannot leverage insider knowledge to influence policy debates or public opinion, effectively isolating them from the levers of power. However, this approach risks further polarizing an already divided political landscape, raising questions about whether such punitive measures strengthen governance or simply deepen the cycle of retribution that has come to define Washington’s power