Trump Revokes Security Clearances for Key New York Officials
President Donald Trump has announced the revocation of security clearances for Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg, former Secretary of State Antony Blinken, and New York Attorney General Letitia James, according to a recent report.
In an interview with the New York Post, Trump stated that Bragg, Blinken, and James would no longer have access to federal buildings. This decision follows Trump's previous announcement regarding the revocation of former President Joe Biden's security clearances, citing a "no need" for Biden to "continue receiving access to classified information."
"This is to take away every right they have [revoking security clearances], including they can't go into [federal] buildings," Trump explained.
The report also mentions that Trump is considering revoking security clearances for former National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan and former Deputy Attorney General Lisa Monaco, who served under the Biden administration.
Notably, the revocation of security clearances for James and Bragg could impede their official duties by preventing access to important locations such as courthouses, prisons, and law enforcement facilities in Foley Square, lower Manhattan. This includes the Thurgood Marshall and Daniel Patrick Moynihan courthouses, as well as the Metropolitan Correctional Center and the Jacob Javits Federal Building housing the FBI's New York field office.
Additionally, they will not be permitted to enter the US Attorney's offices for the Southern and Eastern Districts of New York, located in Manhattan and Brooklyn.
Robert Costello, the former lawyer for Michael Cohen, commented on the situation, indicating that the removal of security clearances was "more an insult and a slap in the face than a real deterrent."
