WASHINGTON – The Biden administration is considering revoking former President Donald Trump’s access to intelligence briefings just weeks after leaving the oval office.
White House spokeswoman Jen Psaki confirmed Monday that President Biden’s national security team was reviewing Trump’s access when a reporter asked him if they “would continue to extend the privilege” of classified information to Trump.
“That’s a good question,” Psaki said. “Clearly it’s something that’s under review.”
Previous presidents have traditionally received intelligence briefings and access to classified information, but some Democratic critics of Trump have argued that state secrets should not be trusted in the wake of the deadly siege of the U.S. Capitol.
In Monday’s briefing, the same reporter pointed to Psaki’s “concern of some Democrats” that Trump would “misuse” the information “or take advantage of it to get rich.”
“There is no circumstance in which this president should receive another intelligence briefing, either now or in the future,” the House Intelligence President said last month. Adam Schiff (D-California), on CBS’s “Face the Nation.”
“I don’t think it can be trusted now and, in the future, it certainly can’t be trusted,” he continued.
Ultimately, the decision will come to Biden.
In an interview last month, White House Chief of Staff Ron Klain said the new commander-in-chief would wait until the review of his national security advisers was completed before making any decision.
“We’re definitely looking for a recommendation from Biden administration intelligence professionals,” Klain told CNN’s Jake Tapper about “State of the Union.”
“We will act on that recommendation,” he said.