BREAKING: Trump revokes Biden's security clearance, citing cognitive decline

In a tit-for-tat move, President Donald Trump revoked former President Joe Biden's security clearance. Trump announced his plans to do so on Truth Social, saying "we are immediately revoking Joe Biden’s Security Clearances, and stopping his daily Intelligence Briefings."

In 2021, shortly after taking office, Biden had revoked Trump's security clearance. Former presidents typically retain their security clearance as those in the very small club of past presidents have a unique perspective on domestic and global matters as well as on the rarified position that they each have held.

"There is no need for Joe Biden to continue receiving access to classified information," Trump said, echoing the words Biden had used when he pulled Trump's clearance.

"Therefore, we are immediately revoking Joe Biden’s Security Clearances, and stopping his daily Intelligence Briefings. He set this precedent in 2021, when he instructed the Intelligence Community (IC) to stop the 45th President of the United States (ME!) from accessing details on National Security, a courtesy provided to former Presidents. The Hur Report revealed that Biden suffers from 'poor memory' and, even in his 'prime,' could not be trusted with sensitive information. I will always protect our National Security — JOE, YOU’RE FIRED. MAKE AMERICA GREAT AGAIN!"

The rancor between the two men was audible on the campaign trail when Biden repeatedly repeatedly referred to Trump in the most disdainful of terms, likening him to World War II-era German leader Adolf Hitler and likening him to white supremacists and other ghastly ghouls.

Biden's revocation of Trump's access was at about the same time in his tenure, too. The announcement was made on February 5, 2021, and Trump is just a few days later than that, making his proclamation on February 7.

When Biden pulled security clearances for Trump it was the very "first time that a former president had been cut out of the briefings, which are provided partly as a courtesy and partly for the moments when a sitting president reaches out for advice," The New York Times reported at the time.

"I just think that there is no need for him to have the intelligence briefings," Biden told CBS' Norah O'Donnell back in February 2021. "What value is giving him an intelligence briefing?" Biden went on. "What impact does he have at all, other than the fact he might slip and say something?"

Trump cited Biden's cognitive decline as his primary reason for pulling the clearance, although retaliation is also noted as a reason. Congress, too, had said back in 2021 that Trump should no longer be party to the classified news of the nation. 

Adam Schiff, then a California representative and now a senator, said "There is no circumstance in which this president should get another intelligence briefing, not now and not in the future." But Trump is back in the White House and Schiff is a senator in which his party has a minority stake.