Former U.S. President Donald Trump has signed an executive order revoking the security clearances of key officials from the Biden administration, including former Secretary of State Antony Blinken and former National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan.

This action, which deepens the divide between political factions in Washington, also affected former President Joe Biden, whose security clearance was revoked on Friday, barring him from daily intelligence briefings.

Additionally, Trump revoked the security clearances of Melissa Monaco, former Deputy Attorney General, who had been involved in coordinating the Justice Department’s response to the January 6, 2021, Capitol attack.

Trump also removed the security clearances of New York Attorney General Letitia James and Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg, both of whom have led legal cases against him.

This follows a previous decision by Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin in January to strip former Joint Chiefs of Staff Chairman Mark Milley of personal security and clearance after Milley, who had served under Trump, became a vocal critic following his retirement in 2023. Traditionally, former presidents receive intelligence briefings to advise current leaders on national security and foreign policy matters.

However, in 2021, Biden took a similar step when he revoked Trump’s security clearance, so Trump’s actions are not unusual or controversial, particularly considering Biden’s move against Trump was seen as anti-democratic and contrary to U.S. national security interests, while Trump’s actions against former senior Biden officials are seen as an effort to strengthen the protection of U.S. national security.