The President of the United States, Joe Biden, Opposed this Friday that his predecessor, Donald Trump, He continues to receive government intelligence reports for his status as a former president.
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Asked during an interview with CBS if he believed Trump should continue to receive these reports, Biden replied: “I do not think so”.
“I just don’t think there’s a need for him to receive intelligence reports. What does it take for him to give him an intelligence report? What impact does it have at all, apart from the fact that you could walk away from the language and say something?“, Biden assured.
The new Democratic president cited the “Erratic behavior” of Trump in relation to the January 6 insurgency, when he is accused of encouraging his supporters to go to Congress to prevent lawmakers from certifying Biden’s electoral victory.
Trump insisted for weeks that his election had been stolen from him, despite overwhelming evidence denying it and losing dozens of lawsuits.
Asked again about his fears in case Trump continues to have access to such confidential information, the president said: “I’d rather not speculate out loud.”
By tradition and as a deference, former U.S. presidents have access to intelligence reports once they step down, but the White House has the final say on whether or not Trump should receive them.
While in the White House, Trump generated constant concern in intelligence agencies. In May 2017, he reportedly shared classified information in a meeting with the Foreign Minister and the Russian Ambassador.
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He also publicly questioned reports from the US intelligence services that Russia had intervened in the 2016 elections. The former president has already been indicted by the House of Representatives. to incite insurrection in the Capitolineor, that he left five dead, and will face trial in the Senate next week.
Last year he had been accused for the first time of trying to force Ukraine to interfere in the November 3 elections in his favor. In the United States, former presidents have traditionally had a right to receive intelligence reports, but many critics of Trump have expressed fears that the Republican tycoon could leak vital information for national security.
Donald Trump, former president of the United States.
EFE / EPA / MICHAEL REYNOLDS
More details of the interview
In the same interview, Biden talked about the new $ 1.9 trillion economic bailout that Democrats they are trying to pass in Congress without the collaboration of the opposition.
The president confessed that the federal minimum wage rise at $ 15 that includes the plan, poit may not end up being approved as it does not have enough support. While for the majority the package only requires a simple majority in the Senate (50 votes), for the rise in the minimum wage are needed 60.
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On direct payments to citizens worth $ 1,400 also included in the bailout, Biden said the White House is still studying who should receive them.
While the previous two direct payments with Trump to the White House were aimed at people on income annuals less than $ 75,000, This time the bar may fall to 50,000 under pressure from more conservative Democrats, such as Senator Joe Manchin.
EFE and AFP
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