U.S. President Donald Trump has announced the withdrawal of state security privileges for his predecessor, Joe Biden, Vice President Kamala Harris, and several key officials from the Biden administration, along with senior leaders of the Democratic Party.
In a statement posted on his social media platform, Truth Social, on Friday, Trump declared that a list of individuals whose security would be revoked had already been prepared.
The list includes former President Joe Biden and his family members, former Vice President Kamala Harris, former Secretary of State Antony Blinken, former National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan, and former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, who was also Trump’s opponent in the 2016 presidential election.
In the U.S., former presidents, their family members, and key government officials typically continue to receive security protection even after leaving office. However, Trump stated that he no longer wishes to uphold this tradition.
Additionally, he announced that former government officials would no longer be briefed on classified state matters, a practice that had been customary until now.
“I hereby direct all government departments to withdraw security for former officials,” Trump wrote in his post. “Furthermore, I instruct that no former officials be given access to state secrets moving forward.”