US President Donald Trump has annulled the security clearance of his predecessor Joe Biden amidst a flurry of new directives, intensifying his efforts to dismantle the US humanitarian agency responsible for aiding the world’s most impoverished and promoting American influence globally.
In a new wave of swift power moves, the 78-year-old billionaire also halted aid to South Africa, the birthplace of his major donor Elon Musk, and appointed himself as the head of one of Washington’s premier cultural institutions, the Kennedy Center.
“There is no reason for Joe Biden to maintain access to classified information,” Mr. Trump stated on his Truth Social network, emphasizing that he was “immediately” revoking the Democrat’s security clearances and terminating his daily intelligence briefings.
In the same update on Truth Social, Mr. Trump referred to a report by Special Counsel Robert Hur, which described Joe Biden last year as a “well-meaning, elderly man with a poor memory”.
Mr. Trump also claimed that Mr. Biden used his presidency to instruct the intelligence community to prevent him from accessing national security details.
In 2021, shortly after assuming the presidency, Mr. Biden told CBS that he believed Mr. Trump should not have access to intelligence briefings due to his “erratic behavior” and concerns that he might disclose sensitive information.
In revoking Mr. Biden’s security clearance, Donald Trump remarked that Joe Biden “set this precedent in 2021”.
“I will always safeguard our National Security – JOE, YOU’RE FIRED,” he added.
US presidents typically retain the right to access intelligence briefings even after leaving office.
Mr. Trump also intensified his critique of the United States Agency for International Development (USAID), which provides humanitarian aid worldwide.
“THE CORRUPTION IS AT LEVELS RARELY SEEN BEFORE. CLOSE IT DOWN!” he posted on his Truth Social app regarding USAID, without presenting any evidence.
USAID has faced heightened scrutiny since Mr. Trump initiated a campaign, supported by Mr. Musk – the world’s wealthiest individual – aimed at reducing or dismantling significant portions of the US government.
Mr. Musk – together with Mr. Trump – has circulated false claims about USAID’s finances, even sharing photos of the agency’s signage being removed from its headquarters in Washington.
The Trump administration has frozen foreign aid, mandated the return of thousands of internationally based staff to the United States, and commenced a drastic reduction of USAID’s workforce from around 10,000 to approximately 300 employees.
Labor unions are contesting the legality of this crackdown. A federal judge has ordered a temporary halt to the administration’s plan to place 2,200 USAID employees on paid leave by the weekend.
Democrats argue that it would be unconstitutional for Mr. Trump to shut down government agencies without the approval of Congress.
‘One of the worst foreign policy blunders in US history’, according to former USAID chief
The current US budget allocates about $70 billion for international assistance, a small fraction of total spending.
However, it yields significant returns on investment.
USAID alone operates health and emergency programs in roughly 120 countries, including some of the world’s poorest areas, enhancing Washington’s efforts to gain influence against adversaries like China.
“We are witnessing one of the worst and most costly foreign policy blunders in US history,” wrote Samantha Power, the USAID chief under former president Joe Biden, in a critical New York Times opinion piece.
Hard-right Republicans and libertarians have long scrutinized the necessity of USAID and condemned what they perceive as wasteful overseas spending.
Elon Musk has stirred controversy with reports indicating he and his team accessed sensitive Treasury Department data.
Mr. Trump appointed himself as chairman of the Kennedy Center, suggesting that the elegant white marble entertainment complex overlooking the Potomac River does not reflect his personal values.
“Just last year, the Kennedy Center featured Drag Shows specifically targeting our youth — THIS WILL STOP,” he posted on Truth Social, without clarifying which show he was referring to.
Mr. Trump has consistently criticized gender-nonconforming individuals.
He also reiterated on Friday his commitment to freeze US aid to South Africa, citing a law in the country that he alleges allows farmland to be seized from white farmers, despite denials from Johannesburg.
Mr. Musk has been a vocal critic of the South African government.
Musk vows to reinstate staffer who resigned over racist social media posts.
Mr. Musk and his so-called Department of Government Efficiency, or DOGE, have launched aggressive initiatives against agencies that most Americans have valued for decades.
While Democrats have struggled to counter the budget-slashing actions, legal challenges are gradually emerging.
An effort by Mr. Trump to overturn the constitutional guarantee of birthright citizenship has been blocked by a judge, and on Thursday, another judge paused his attempt to offer mass buyouts to federal employees until arguments are heard on Monday.
Mr. Musk, the CEO of SpaceX and Tesla, faced backlash last week following reports that he and his team accessed sensitive Treasury Department data and systems.
An internal Treasury assessment labeled the DOGE team’s access to federal payment systems as “the single biggest insider threat the Bureau of the Fiscal Service has ever faced,” according to US media reports.
Adding to the controversy, one member of the DOGE team resigned after his advocacy of racism and eugenics on social media came to light.
Following support for the dismissed 25-year-old from Mr. Trump, Mr. Musk stated he would reinstate the staffer.
Vice President JD Vance expressed that he did not believe “stupid social media activity should ruin a kid’s life”.
