Day 1: Trump to revoke security clearances of 51 former intelligence officials
Add Axios as your preferred source to
see more of our stories on Google.
President-elect Trump arrives at his Make America Great Again Victory Rally, on Inauguration Eve at Capital One Arena in Washington. Photo: Evan Vucci/AP
Shortly after being sworn in at high noon today, President-elect Trump plans to revoke security clearances of 51 former intelligence officials who signed a letter in 2020 saying emails from Hunter Biden's laptop carried "classic earmarks of a Russian information operation.
- We're told Day 1 will bring about 200 executive actions of various sorts, including executive orders.
- Day 1 actions are expected to include declaring an emergency at the U.S.-Mexico border, Jan. 6 pardons, a TikTok reprieve, and executive orders to increase fossil fuel development and reduce civil service protections for federal workers.
Why it matters: The action on security clearances is a Day 1 sign that Trump plans to use his formidable tools of office in his war with what he calls the "intelligence apparatus," which he blames for the "Russia collusion hoax."
- "The threats have real teeth to them," a transition source told me.
The big picture: During the 75-day transition, Trump's team put a huge focus on prepping a Day 1 barrage to tell the story of "promises made, promises kept" — before he's even had a full day in the Oval Office.
- "I will act with historic speed and strength and fix every single crisis facing our country," Trump said yesterday at a Make America Great Again Victory Rally at Capital One Arena in Washington.
- "Before even taking office, you are already seeing results that nobody expected to see," he added. "Everyone is calling it the ... I don't want to say this — it's too braggadocious. But we'll say it anyway, the Trump effect. It's you, you're the effect. Since the election, the stock market has surged, and small business optimism has soared ... Bitcoin has shattered one record high after another."
Charlie Kirk — founder and CEO of Turning Point USA, and one of the most powerful MAGA podcasters — calls this "Liberation Day."
- Steve Bannon, whose "War Room" podcast is powerful with Trump's base, told me it's a "tsunami this time ... flood the zone." Bannon said the fusillade will mean "the media is so overwhelmed with so much activity on so many fronts that it cannot process."
Behind the scenes: John Ratcliffe — Trump's pick for CIA director, who served as director of national intelligence during Trump's first term — brought up the issue of the 51 former officials at his confirmation hearing last week.
- We hear Ratcliffe pushed the idea of revoking the security clearances, and Trump loved it.
Reality check: A former U.S. official told us that some of the 51 officials are fully retired, and sees the move as largely symbolic — "none of these people are going to lose their day job."
