Latest news with #securityclearances
CBS News
3 hours ago
- Politics
- CBS News
Trump administration revokes clearances of 37 current and former U.S. officials
Tulsi Gabbard, the director of national intelligence, said Tuesday in a memo posted on X that the Trump administration is revoking the security clearances of 37 current and former national security officials. She accused them of having engaged in the "politicization or weaponization of intelligence" to advance personal or partisan goals, failing to safeguard classified information, failing to "adhere to professional analytic tradecraft standards" and other "detrimental" conduct that she did not describe in the memo. The memo offered no evidence to support the accusations. Many of the officials who were targeted left the government years ago after serving in both senior national security positions and lower-profile roles out of the public eye. Sam Vinograd, who was assistant secretary for counterterrorism, threat prevention and law enforcement policy in the Department of Homeland Security, is among the 37 former officials. She is also a national security contributor for CBS News. She has not yet responded to Gabbard's memo. Some of the officials worked on matters that have long infuriated President Trump, like the intelligence community assessment that Russia interfered in the 2016 presidential election on his behalf. And several showed their concerns about Mr. Trump by signing a critical letter in 2019 that was highlighted on social media last month by right-wing provocateur and close Trump ally Laura Loomer. The action reflects Mr. Trump's ongoing distrust of career intelligence officials whom he perceives as working against his interests. The revocation of clearances is a tactic the administration has used before — it has revoked the clearances of former President Joe Biden, former Vice President Kamala Harris, former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, and several others. Critics say the tactic risks chilling dissenting voices from an intelligence community accustomed to drawing on a range of viewpoints before formulating an assessment. In Mr. Trump's first term, he revoked former CIA Director John Brennan's clearance. "These are unlawful and unconstitutional decisions that deviate from well-settled, decades-old laws and policies that sought to protect against just this type of action," Mark Zaid, a national security lawyer whose own clearance has been revoked by the Trump administration, said in a statement. He called it hypocritical for the administration to "claim these individuals politicized or weaponized intelligence." Gabbard on Tuesday sought to defend the move, which she said had been directed by Mr. Trump. "Being entrusted with a security clearance is a privilege, not a right," she wrote on X. "Those in the Intelligence Community who betray their oath to the Constitution and put their own interests ahead of the American people have broken the sacred trust they promised to uphold." In recent weeks, Gabbard and other Trump administration officials have revisited the intelligence community assessment published in 2017 on Russian election interference, including by declassifying a series of years-old documents meant to cast doubt on the legitimacy of its findings. Multiple government investigations have reached the same conclusion that Russia interfered in the 2016 election in sweeping fashion, including through a hack-and-leak operation of Democratic emails and a social media campaign aimed at sowing discord and swaying public opinion. But Mr. Trump has long resisted the assessment that Russian President Vladimir Putin interfered in his favor, and his Justice Department has authorized a grand jury investigation that could bring fresh scrutiny to Obama-era officials. Security clearances are important not only for current government workers but also former employees whose private-sector jobs require them to retain access to sensitive information. Stripping clearances from such employees could make it hard for them to do their jobs, though it's unclear how many of the former officials still have or require one. On his first day of office, Mr. Trump said he would revoke the security clearances of the more than four dozen former intelligence officials who signed a 2020 letter saying that the Hunter Biden laptop saga bore the hallmarks of a "Russian information operation." Mr. Trump has attempted to revoke the security clearances for lawyers at a number of prominent law firms but was rebuffed by federal judges. Some of those who were targeted in the latest action were part of Biden's national security team. Many only learned of the Gabbard action from news reports Tuesday, two former government officials who were on the list told the Associated Press. Both spoke on the condition of anonymity as they consider whether to take legal Cook contributed to this report.
The Guardian
5 hours ago
- Politics
- The Guardian
Trump news at a glance: Gabbard strips security clearance from dozens of intelligence officials
National intelligence director Tulsi Gabbard said on Tuesday that she had stripped security clearances from 37 current and former national security officials, including some who worked on the intelligence community's assessment that Russia interfered in the 2016 presidential election. In a memo posted on X, Gabbard accused the targeted individuals of having engaged in 'politicizing and manipulating intelligence, leaking classified intelligence without authorization, and/or committing intentional egregious violations of tradecraft standards'. This move is the latest in a series of retributions by the Trump administration against national security officials and political opponents he views as adversaries. In March, Trump revoked security clearances for Joe Biden, Kamala Harris, and several other Democrats and critics. The order also stripped access from former secretary of state Antony Blinken, former representatives Liz Cheney and Adam Kinzinger, New York attorney general Letitia James – who prosecuted Trump for fraud – and Biden's entire family. Here are the key Trump administration news of the day: Donald Trump has ruled out sending US troops to Ukraine to enforce a potential peace deal with Vladimir Putin, tempering a promise to provide Kyiv with security guarantees that European allies had called a significant breakthrough towards halting the Kremlin's invasion of Ukraine. Asked during a phone interview with Fox News whether he could assure listeners – including many members of his Maga base who support an isolationist America-first foreign policy – that the US would not put troops on the ground in Ukraine, Trump said: 'You have my assurance, and I'm president.' Read the full story Federal prosecutors have launched a criminal investigation into allegations that Washington DC police systematically manipulated crime statistics to make the city appear safer than it actually is. The probe, anonymous sources tell the Washington Post, NBC News and Fox News, being conducted by the US attorney's office for the District of Columbia under Jeanine Pirro, is the latest escalation between the Trump administration and DC officials over federal control of local policing. Read the full story A southern California community is calling for the release of a high school student whom US immigration agents arrested earlier this month while he was walking his dog. Benjamin Marcelo Guerrero-Cruz was supposed to be starting his senior year of high school at Reseda charter high school this month. But just days after his 18th birthday, masked Ice agents detained him as he walking his dog in the Los Angeles neighborhood of Van Nuys in what his family described as a kidnapping. Read the full story A speechwriter for the Trump administration's Department of Homeland Security (DHS) has come under scrutiny after he was linked to hate speech online. Eric Lendrum compared the circumstances of American conservatives to that of enslaved people and Jewish people in Nazi Germany, and in his podcast claimed that the racist great replacement conspiracy theory was 'real', the news outlet Notus reported. Read the full story Republican state legislators in California filed suit on Tuesday to block a mid-year redistricting plan meant to counter Texas's effort to redraw congressional district lines. The emergency petition argues that the process being used in the California assembly violates laws requiring a 30-day period between the introduction of legislation and voting on it. Read the full story Household electricity bills have increased by 10% since Donald Trump re-entered the White House, a new report has found, with its authors highlighting the impact of the president's datacenter boosterism and cuts to clean energy projects as part of the cause. The analysis comes as the US energy secretary, Chris Wright, said he knows rising energy prices could be a political challenge for the GOP ahead of next year's midterm elections, but claimed Democrats were to blame for the cost increases. Read the full story The Trump administration said on Tuesday that it will look for 'anti-American' views, including on social media, when assessing the applications of people wanting to live in the United States. Volodymyr Zelenskyy gave Donald Trump a golf club during his visit to Washington this week that had belonged to a serviceman fighting Russia's invasion, Kyiv said on Tuesday. India Walton has a warning message for progressive Democrats during Donald Trump's second presidency: don't water down your politics to win over the establishment. Catching up? Here's what happened 18 August 2025.
Globe and Mail
6 hours ago
- Politics
- Globe and Mail
Trump orders security clearances be revoked for 37 current and former intelligence officials
The Trump administration said Tuesday that it was revoking the security clearances of 37 current and former national security officials in the latest act of retribution targeting public servants from the federal government's intelligence community. A memo from Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard accuses the singled-out individuals of having engaged in the 'politicization or weaponization of intelligence' to advance personal or partisan goals, failing to safeguard classified information, failing to 'adhere to professional analytic tradecraft standards' and other unspecified 'detrimental' conduct. The memo did not offer evidence to back up the accusations. Many of the officials who were targeted left the government years ago after serving in both senior national security positions and lower-profile roles far from the public eye. Trump, citing 'progress' with U.S. universities, vows to ramp up pressure on the Smithsonian Institution Some worked on matters that have long infuriated Trump, like the intelligence community assessment that Russia interfered in the 2016 presidential election on his behalf. And several signalled their concerns about Trump by signing a critical letter in 2019 that was highlighted on social media last month by right-wing provocateur and close Trump ally Laura Loomer. The action is part of a broader Trump administration campaign to wield the levers of government against perceived adversaries, and it reflects the president's continued distrust of career intelligence officials he has long seen as working against his interests. The revocation of clearances has emerged as a go-to tactic for the administration, a strategy that critics say risks chilling dissenting voices from a national security community accustomed to drawing on a range of viewpoints before formulating an assessment. 'These are unlawful and unconstitutional decisions that deviate from well-settled, decades-old laws and policies that sought to protect against just this type of action,' Mark Zaid, a national security lawyer whose own clearance was revoked by the Trump administration, said in a statement. He called it hypocritical for the administration to 'claim these individuals politicized or weaponized intelligence.' Gabbard on Tuesday defended the move, which she said had been directed by Trump. 'Being entrusted with a security clearance is a privilege, not a right,' she wrote on X. 'Those in the Intelligence Community who betray their oath to the Constitution and put their own interests ahead of the American people have broken the sacred trust they promised to uphold.' Analysis: The final eclipse of the Truman Doctrine, a cornerstone of American foreign policy The security clearance suspension comes amid a broader effort by Gabbard and other Trump administration officials to revisit the intelligence community's assessment on Russian election interference, including by declassifying a series of years-old documents meant to cast doubt on the legitimacy of its findings. Multiple government investigations have reached the same conclusion that Russia interfered in the 2016 election in sweeping fashion, including through a hack-and-leak operation of Democratic emails and a social media campaign aimed at sowing discord and swaying public opinion. But Trump has long resisted the assessment that Russian President Vladimir Putin interfered in his favour, and his Justice Department has authorized a grand jury investigation that could bring fresh scrutiny to Obama-era officials. Security clearances are important not only for current government workers but also former ones whose private-sector jobs require them to retain access to sensitive information. Stripping clearances from such employees could make it hard for them to do their jobs. On his first day of office, Trump said he would revoke the security clearances of the more than four dozen former intelligence officials who signed a 2020 letter saying that the Hunter Biden laptop saga bore the hallmarks of a 'Russian information operation.' He's also revoked the clearances of former President Joe Biden and former Vice President Kamala Harris, and he attempted to do the same for lawyers at a spate of prominent law firms but was rebuffed by federal judges. Some of those who were targeted in the latest action were part of Biden's national security team. Many only learned of the Gabbard action from news reports Tuesday, said two former government officials who were on the list. Both spoke on the condition of anonymity as they ponder whether to take legal action.
Daily Mail
7 hours ago
- Politics
- Daily Mail
Tulsi Gabbard continues deep state purge by revoking security clearances for 37 officials tied to Russiagate
Tulsi Gabbard continued her purge of the deep state, revoking security clearances of 37 Obama-linked officials tied to the infamous Russiagate hoax which she has called a 'treasonous conspiracy'. It marked the Trump administration's latest act of retribution targeting public servants in the federal government's intelligence community. A memo posted online by Tulsi Gabbard, the director of national intelligence, accuses the targeted officials of having engaged in the 'politicization or weaponization of intelligence' to advance partisan goals, as well as failure to safeguard classified information and 'failure to adhere to professional analytic tradecraft standards.' Many of the officials who were singled out left the government years ago and served in a broad range of roles, including in senior positions and lower-profile roles far from the public eye. Some have been openly critical of Trump and some worked on matters that have long provoked his ire, including the intelligence community assessment that Russia interfered in the 2016 presidential election on Trump´s behalf, or have openly criticized him. When The Daily Mail reached out for comment, the Office of the DNI directed us to a lengthy statement and tweet from Gabbard. 'Being entrusted with a security clearance is a privilege, not a right. Those in the Intelligence Community who betray their oath to the Constitution and put their own interests ahead of the interests of the American people have broken the sacred trust they promised to uphold. In doing so, they undermine our national security, the safety and security of the American people and the foundational principles of our democratic republic,' she wrote. White House spokesperson Davis Ingle told The Daily Mail in a statement that Gabbard has Trump's full support. 'President Trump promised to end the weaponization of government against American citizens which is why Director Gabbard rightfully directed the revocation of 37 security clearances from current and former intelligence officials who abused their positions of public trust.' The action is part of a broader Trump administration campaign to wield the levers of government against perceived adversaries. It reflects his continued distrust of intelligence officials from prior Democratic administrations and risks chilling dissenting voices from within the national security community. The revocation of clearances, a vital tool for intelligence professionals needing to preserve access to sensitive information, has been a go-to tactic for Trump. Its been used to target law firms that have fallen out of favor as well as dozens of former officials who signed onto a letter saying that the Hunter Biden laptop saga bore the hallmarks of a Russian disinformation campaign. 'These are unlawful and unconstitutional decisions that deviate from well-settled, decades-old laws and policies that sought to protect against just this type of action,' Mark Zaid, a national security lawyer whose own clearance was revoked by the Trump administration, said in a statement. In the last month Gabbard has declassified a series of years-old documents meant to cast doubt on the legitimacy of the assessment on Russian election interference. Many of those whose clearances were revoked only learned of the Gabbard action from news reports published Tuesday, according to two former government officials who were on the list. Both spoke on the condition of anonymity as they ponder whether to take legal action. It comes just weeks after Gabbard laid into Barack Obama on an appearance on Fox & Friends on Saturday, accusing him of 'treasonous conspiracy.' Gabbard cited allegations she made last week accusing Obama's White House of pushing a 'hoax' that Trump's 2016 campaign was propped up by the Kremlin. Trump also accused Obama of treason, while the 44th president issued a statement denying all the allegations lodged against him. 'The complicity, the deflection, and the silence of politicians, of the mainstream media, and of those directly implicated into this speaks volumes,' Gabbard said on Saturday. The former Democrat-turned-Republican also responded to a blistering comeback from Obama over her claims, in which Obama said Gabbard was making 'bizarre allegations' that are a 'weak attempt at distraction' from the Epstein files. Gabbard countered: 'President Obama's very carefully worded response that came from his office, again, deflects away from addressing any of the truth that was revealed. 'They would have to admit and actually address the details of their complicity in this or their absolute failure in conducting the most basic responsibilities of, again, asking, where is this intelligence coming from?' Gabbard made the remarks a day after she sent a criminal referral against Obama to Attorney General Pam Bondi, alleging he ' manufactured and politicized intelligence' to create a narrative implicating Trump with Russia. In an X post about her criminal referral, Gabbard said: 'Their goal was to usurp President Trump and subvert the will of the American people. 'No matter how powerful, every person involved in this conspiracy must be investigated and prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law. The integrity of our democratic republic depends on it. 'We are turning over all documents to the DOJ for criminal referral.' Gabbard's rebuke of Obama comes after the former president issued a rare statement to condemn Trump's wild allegations of 'treason.' 'Out of respect for the office of the presidency, our office does not normally dignify the constant nonsense and misinformation flowing out of this White House with a response,' an Obama spokesperson said. 'But these claims are outrageous enough to merit one. These bizarre allegations are ridiculous and a weak attempt at distraction.' The former president's spokesman then turned to Gabbard's report, saying: 'Nothing in the document issued last week undercuts the widely accepted conclusion that Russia worked to influence the 2016 presidential election but did not successfully manipulate any votes. 'These findings were affirmed in a 2020 report by the bipartisan Senate Intelligence Committee, led by then-Chairman Marco Rubio.' That last lined needled Trump's secretary of state and national security advisor, who was seated next to the president during his extended discourse on Obama and his team. Trump and Obama have a fraught relationship, although they were spotted chatting in what appeared to be amiable fashion at Jimmy Carter's funeral in January. Trump rode 'birther' conspiracies about Obama to influence in his first successful run for president. The pushback from Obama's team came after Trump issued an extraordinary call Tuesday to investigate the ex-president – saying he had been caught 'cold' and accusing his predecessor of 'treason.' Trump issued his stunning series of attacks on the two-term Democratic president shortly after being asked yet another question about Jeffrey Epstein - the scandal that Obama appeared to be implying that Trump was trying to 'distract' from. Trump has since threatened to prosecute Obama, saying this week that Attorney General Pam Bondi should 'act' on the matter – while also indicating it was at her discretion.
Reuters
7 hours ago
- Politics
- Reuters
Gabbard revokes security clearances of 37 current, former US intelligence professionals
WASHINGTON, Aug 19 (Reuters) - U.S. Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard said on Tuesday, opens new tab that she had revoked security clearances of 37 current and former intelligence professionals whom she accused of "politicizing and manipulating intelligence." Gabbard said in a social media statement that the action was taken at President Donald Trump's direction. Gabbard has repeatedly alleged weaponization of the U.S. intelligence community, and last month the U.S. Department of Justice said it was forming a strike force to assess her claims. Trump has leaped on recent comments from Gabbard in which she threatened to refer officials from the administration of Democratic former President Barack Obama to the Justice Department for prosecution over an intelligence assessment of Russian interference in U.S. elections. Republican Trump has accused Obama, without providing evidence, of leading an effort to falsely tie him to Russia and undermine his 2016 presidential campaign. A spokesperson for Obama had denounced Trump's claims, saying, "These bizarre allegations are ridiculous and a weak attempt at distraction." It was not clear if all of those on the list released by the Office of the Director of National Intelligence - including a former spokesperson for Obama's National Security Council and Biden's coordinator for global COVID response - had indeed served as intelligence professionals. An ODNI spokesperson did not immediately respond to questions about the backgrounds of those whose security clearances had been revoked. Gabbard says there was a "treasonous conspiracy" in 2016 by top Obama officials to undermine Trump, claims that Democrats called false and politically motivated. Trump won the 2016 election. An assessment by the U.S. intelligence community published in January 2017 concluded that Russia, using social media disinformation, hacking, and Russian bot farms, sought to damage Democrat Hillary Clinton's presidential campaign and bolster Trump. The assessment determined the actual impact was likely limited and showed no evidence that Moscow's efforts changed voting outcomes. Russia has denied it attempted to interfere in U.S. elections.
