Trump Administration Revokes Security Clearances of 37 Officials

The administration of United States President Donald Trump has revoked the security clearances of 37 people it accused of politicising or misusing intelligence for partisan purposes.

In a statement posted on X on Tuesday, Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard said the group had “abused the public trust,” accusing them of “politicising and manipulating intelligence, leaking classified intelligence without authorisation, and/or committing intentional violations of tradecraft standards.”

The statement did not specify how the individuals had broken the terms of their clearances or provide evidence of the alleged actions. Security clearances are rarely revoked, and names are not usually publicised.

The list included former senior officials as well as lower-level staff. One of the better-known names was Shelby Pierson, an election security official who in 2020 briefed lawmakers on alleged Russian interference in US elections — a move that angered Trump after claims that Moscow favoured him in that year’s race. At least one of those listed also appeared in the database of Canary Mission, a pro-Israel website that has been linked to targeting pro-Palestinian supporters.

Since taking office, Trump has acted on campaign promises to pursue those he considers opponents, especially figures tied to previous administrations. Earlier this year, thousands of federal employees were dismissed, including prosecutors involved in two federal investigations into Trump’s handling of classified documents and his alleged attempts to subvert the 2020 election.