President Donald Trump has revoked former President Joe Biden’s access to intelligence briefings, pointing to concerns over Biden’s ability to handle classified material. The decision was made public Friday, with Trump stating that Biden’s cognitive decline and past actions made him unfit to receive sensitive national security updates.
Trump’s move mirrors Biden’s own actions in 2021 when he revoked Trump’s intelligence access. At the time, Biden argued that Trump posed a security threat due to his “erratic behavior.” Trump has now applied the same reasoning to Biden, stating that he “could not be trusted” with intelligence reports.
A key factor in Trump’s decision was Special Counsel Robert Hur’s report, which found that Biden had taken and improperly disclosed classified documents. The report further described Biden’s memory as “faulty” and “hazy,” highlighting concerns over his ability to retain and safeguard sensitive government information.
Trump announced his decision through Truth Social, making it clear that Biden was no longer entitled to classified briefings. He stated that Biden “set the precedent” in 2021 when he cut Trump off from intelligence reports and that there was “no reason” for Biden to retain access to them now.
Beyond Biden, Trump has taken additional security actions against former intelligence officials who previously dismissed the Hunter Biden laptop story as Russian disinformation. These officials had signed a 2020 letter claiming the laptop scandal was likely part of a foreign influence campaign.
Biden has not made a public statement regarding Trump’s decision. While past presidents traditionally receive intelligence briefings as a courtesy, the final decision rests with the current president.
