Trump access to intelligence briefings will be determined by officials, White House says: report

The White House said Saturday that President Biden will leave the decision about whether or not former President Trump will have access to sensitive intelligence briefings up to Intelligence officials, according to The Washington Post. 

In a statement to the newspaper, White House press secretary Jen Psaki said Biden trusts his intelligence team to determine access to sensitive briefings. 

“The president was expressing his concern about former president Trump receiving access to sensitive intelligence, but he also has deep trust in his own intelligence team to make a determination about how to provide intelligence information if at any point the former president Trump requests a briefing,” Psaki said in the Saturday statement. 

The news comes after Biden on Friday said that he did not believe that Trump should have access to intelligence briefings during an interview with CBS.

Biden explained that he did not believe Trump should receive the briefings “because of his erratic behavior unrelated to the insurrection,” referring to the attack on the U.S. Capitol. 

Former presidents normally are allowed to receive intelligence briefings, but Biden indicated he saw the former president as an “existential threat.”

However, aides told the Post he is letting his intelligence team decide if Trump is enough of a danger to take away his intelligence briefings. 

It is unclear when a decision will be made about Trump’s access. 

Trump has come under fire from critics and Democrats after the Jan. 6 riot that left several people dead, including Capitol Police officers. Before the rioters stormed the Capitol and tore through chambers of Congress, Trump had encouraged supporters during a speech on the National Mall to march on the Capitol to demand lawmakers halt the certification of Biden’s election victory. 

Trump’s actions have led to his second impeachment by the House and an impeachment hearing that will start in the Senate on Feb. 9.

The Hill has reached out to the White House for comment.