Sunday Mirror (Northern Ireland)
Biden to ban Trump from intel briefing
PRESIDENT Joe Biden has revealed he will bar “erratic” Donald Trump from intelligence briefings.
The US has a tradition of allowing former presidents to be briefed on the nation’s security issues.
But when asked by CBS News if Mr Trump would receive the courtesy, Mr Biden said: “I think not”.
In his first sit-down interview since taking office, he suggested Mr Trump could not be trusted to keep secret information to himself.
He said: “What value is giving him an intelligence briefing? What impact does he have at all, other than the fact he might slip and say something?”
The move comes after Mr Trump himself ignored tradition by failing to allow his successor security briefings for several weeks after the November 3 poll.
FEUD
Mr Trump feuded with the intelligence community throughout his presidency and had six national intelligence directors.
He questioned reports by US agencies that Russia had interfered in the 2016 election, and assailed intelligence chiefs for being “extremely passive and naive” over Iran.
In 2017, he disclosed top-secret information to Russia’s foreign minister about an Islamic State operation in what was seen as a breach of trust by many in US intelligence.
On the subject of Mr Trump’s impeachment, Mr Biden said he would leave the Senate to decide if the Republican should be barred from public office.
Mr Biden and other G7 leaders must supply a negative Covid-19 test result before being allowed into the UK for June’s summit in Cornwall.
But they will not need to quarantine for 10 days.