In a late-night memo on Friday, President Donald Trump ordered federal agencies to revoke security clearances for over a dozen individuals he considers political adversaries, including former Vice President Kamala Harris and former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton.
Trump revokes security clearances for Biden, Harris, and Clinton
3/22/2025
“I have determined that it is no longer in the national interest for the following individuals to access classified information,” Trump wrote in the memo. “I hereby direct every executive department and agency head to take all additional action as necessary and consistent with existing law to revoke any active security clearances held by the aforementioned individuals and to immediately rescind their access to classified information.”
The directive applies to classified briefings and any access these individuals may have retained from their previous roles in government, including Congress.
This marks the latest instance of Trump stripping security clearances from political rivals. In February, he announced he was “immediately” revoking former President Joe Biden’s security clearance and terminating his daily intelligence briefing. Trump has also used security clearance revocations to target major law firms.
Friday’s memo formalized Biden’s security clearance revocation, along with several others the administration had previously claimed to have removed. It also barred Biden’s family members from accessing classified information, assuming they had any clearance to begin with.
Beyond his Democratic challengers in the 2016 and 2024 elections, Trump also revoked security clearances for the two Republicans who served on the House committee that investigated his role in the January 6, 2021, attack on the Capitol—former Wyoming Rep. Liz Cheney and former Illinois Rep. Adam Kinzinger.
Earlier this month, Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard stated that, following a directive from Trump, she had revoked the security clearances of several individuals named in Friday’s memo. The list included former Biden administration officials such as Secretary of State Antony Blinken and National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan, as well as two prosecutors who pursued legal action against Trump: New York Attorney General Letitia James and Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg.
In a separate late-night memo on Friday, Trump escalated his campaign against lawyers who have opposed him, pledging to punish attorneys and law firms by revoking security clearances and canceling federal contracts they hold.
He directed Attorney General Pam Bondi to investigate lawyers and firms the administration deems to have filed frivolous lawsuits against Trump or sought to obstruct his immigration policies, expanding his crackdown on the legal profession in the U.S.
Stay Updated
Subscribe to our newsletter for the latest financial insights and news.
+With Unusual Whales
Get the best broker for options trading and earn $5,000 in cash with an eligible account deposit at tastytrade. Get $50 when you deposit $2000. Offer expires 3/31/25. Certain restrictions, terms and conditions apply.
Unusual Whales does not confirm the information's truthfulness or accuracy of the associated references, data, and cannot verify any of the information. Any content on this site or related pages are not intended to provide legal, tax, investment or insurance advice. Unusual Whales Inc. is not registered as a securities broker-dealer or an investment adviser with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (“FINRA”) or any state securities regulatory authority. Nothing on Unusual Whales should be construed as an offer to sell, a solicitation of an offer to buy, or a recommendation for any security by Unusual Whales or any third party. Options, investing, trading is risky, and losses are more expected than profits. Please do own research before investing. Please only subscribe after reading our full terms and understanding options and the market, and the inherent risks of trading. It is highly recommended not to trade on this, or any, information from Unusual Whales. Markets are risky, and you will likely lose some or all of your capital. Please check our terms for full details.
Any content on this site or related pages are not intended to provide legal, tax, investment or insurance advice. Unusual Whales Inc. is not registered as a securities broker-dealer or an investment adviser with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (“FINRA”) or any state securities regulatory authority. Nothing on Unusual Whales should be construed as an offer to sell, a solicitation of an offer to buy, or a recommendation for any security by Unusual Whales or any third party. Certain investment planning tools available on Unusual Whales may provide general investment education based on your input. You are solely responsible for determining whether any investment, investment strategy, security or related transaction is appropriate for you based on your personal investment objectives, financial circumstances and risk tolerance. You should consult your legal or tax professional regarding your specific situation. See terms for more information.