Feb. 8 (UPI) — President Donald Trump is retaliating against Joe Biden, revealing on social media he plans to revoke the former president’s security clearances.
“There is no need for Joe Biden to continue receiving access to classified information. Therefore, we are immediately revoking Joe Biden’s Security Clearances, and stopping his daily Intelligence Briefings,” Trump wrote on Truth Social.
“He set this precedent in 2021, when he instructed the intelligence community to stop the 45th President of the United States (ME!) from accessing details on national security, a courtesy provided to former presidents.”
He ended the post by writing: “JOE, YOU’RE FIRED. MAKE AMERICA GREAT AGAIN!”
In 2021, Biden implied he would discontinue Trump’s daily intelligence briefings, which are normally afforded to all former president’s.
“I just think that there is no need for him to have the intelligence briefings. What value is giving him an intelligence briefing? What impact does he have at all, other than the fact he might slip and say something?,” Biden told CBS News in an interview at the time.
In his social media post, Trump attributed his decision to Biden suffering from “poor memory,” and that “even in his ‘prime,’ [he] could not be trusted with sensitive information.”
Sitting presidents technically do not have security clearance, rather they are provided access to classified information because of the office they hold, which sits atop the executive branch of government.
Trump also referenced the report by Special Counsel Robert Hur, which was released almost exactly one year ago.
The report refers to Biden as a “well-meaning elderly man with a poor memory.”
The President’s Daily Brief is prepared by the Office of the Director of National Intelligence and was first introduced under then-president Harry Truman.
“The President’s Daily Brief (PDB) is a daily summary of high-level, all-source information and analysis on national security issues produced for the president and key cabinet members and advisers. The PDB is coordinated and delivered by the ODNI with contributions from the CIA as well as other IC elements and has been presented in some form to the president since 1946,” according to an Office of the Director of National Intelligence description.
Also on Truth Social on Friday night, he said he will reverse Biden’s initiative to phase out plastic straws. He wrote: “Crooked Joe’s MANDATE, “NO PLASTIC STRAWS, ONLY PAPER,” IS DEAD! Enjoy your next drink without a straw that disgustingly dissolves in your mouth!!!