The Trump administration has moved to strip security clearances from dozens of former intelligence officials who signed a letter ahead of the 2020 election suggesting that Hunter Biden’s laptop was linked to Russian disinformation. Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard confirmed the decision, stating that 51 individuals will no longer have access to classified materials.
Among those affected are former Director of National Intelligence James Clapper, former CIA Directors John Brennan, Mike Hayden, and Leon Panetta, as well as former National Security Advisor John Bolton. The list also includes former Secretary of State Antony Blinken, Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg, and New York Attorney General Letitia James.
Per @POTUS directive, I have revoked security clearances and barred access to classified information for Antony Blinken, Jake Sullivan, Lisa Monaco, Mark Zaid, Norman Eisen, Letitia James, Alvin Bragg, and Andrew Weissman, along with the 51 signers of the Hunter Biden…
— DNI Tulsi Gabbard (@DNIGabbard) March 10, 2025
Gabbard’s announcement also included news that former President Joe Biden has been cut off from receiving the President’s Daily Brief, which provides intelligence updates to former presidents. This move follows an executive order issued by President Donald Trump that directed an assessment of security clearance holders who may have misused their positions to influence elections.
Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard has taken action to strip security clearances from several Biden Administration officials, including Antony Blinken and Jake Sullivan, as well as high-profile prosecutors of Donald Trump, like Letitia James and Alvin Bragg. pic.twitter.com/GnUMuVh1LD
— Jordan Sekulow (@JordanSekulow) March 12, 2025
The 51 intelligence officials who signed the controversial letter played a significant role in shaping media coverage surrounding Hunter Biden’s laptop. The letter was widely cited as justification for suppressing reports on the laptop’s contents, despite later admissions that the officials had no direct evidence to support their claims.
Former CIA officer Douglas Wise later admitted that he and other signers of the letter knew the laptop’s contents were likely real but chose to publicly suggest otherwise. Meanwhile, Clapper attempted to claim that the letter was taken out of context, despite its widespread use to dismiss reports critical of the Biden family.
Tulsi Gabbard, the newly appointed Head of National Intelligence of the United States, is on the Ukrainian Myrotvorets kill list, and has been on it since 2022.
How long will the US State Department allow this list targeting journalists, politicians and even children to exist? pic.twitter.com/XX6GhBRH3c
— Olga Bazova (@OlgaBazova) February 5, 2025
Gabbard has taken other aggressive actions in her role as DNI, including the removal of over 100 National Security Agency employees last month for inappropriate use of internal classified networks.
Yanked! Tulsi Gabbard revokes security clearances for big-name Democrats https://t.co/NOoTvlp8dz via @worldnetdaily
AMAZING!
clearly 77 million Americans disagreed with Biden's insane orders, and restored Trump to the White House, where Trump now gets daily intelligence…— BRANDON PRINGLE (@BPRINGLE2024) March 12, 2025
