☕ Why Trump stripped Biden's security clearance

It’s Monday.

We’re waking up to an evolving situation in the nation’s capital, where crews are still searching the Potomac River after a shocking air crash last night. We’ve broken down what you need to know below - but check back in tomorrow for further updates.

I’ve got 30 seconds

Some headlines from this morning:

✅ Early approval ratings have shown a more favorable start to President Donald Trump’s second term compared to his first few weeks in 2017. According to a poll from CBS News and YouGov, 53% of Americans approve of Trump so far - his highest presidential approval rating in a CBS News poll ever. In the same poll in 2017, only 40% approved of his opening few weeks. Meanwhile, 44% of Republicans agreed that Elon Musk and the newly-created Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) should have ‘some’ influence on Trump’s policies, while onl 13% of Democrats agreed. 74% of all respondents disapproved of Trump’s pardons for Jan. 6 rioters.

🇮🇱 The Israeli military has withdrawn from the Netzarim corridor which they have held since November 2023, honoring a key ‘Phase One’ ceasefire deal commitment. The Netzarim corridor separates Northern Gaza from Southern Gaza. The withdrawal comes one day after Hamas returned three more Israeli hostages and on the same day an Israeli delegation travelled to Qatar to join negotiations to extend the ceasefire, which is scheduled to end later this month. Meanwhile, President Trump has said the US may “lose patience” with the ceasefire, with Trump describing the state of the Israeli hostages as "in horrible condition” and “emaciated”. The next phase of the deal is currently being negotiated but is intended to bring a “permanent end to the war”.

😷 UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer has become the first western leader to take a public HIV test. It comes amid a broader national testing drive, aimed at reducing stigma associated with HIV. Starmer has vowed to end new transmissions of HIV in England by 2030. If the goal is reached, it would be a world first. The British PM took the rapid HIV home test at his residence over the weekend. According to a UK Government statement, he’s the first serving PM and the first serving G7 leader to take a public HIV test.

🏈 The Philadelphia Eagles won Super Bowl LIX, beating the Kansas City Chiefs 40-22. The Eagles dominated the Chiefs defensively, keeping the two-time defending champions scoreless for the entire first half. Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes was sacked (tackled while he had the ball behind the scrimmage) six times, the most in his career. Eagles quarterback Jalen Hurts, who passed for two touchdowns and scored one himself, won the Super Bowl MVP award. The victory was sweet revenge for the Eagles, who lost to the Chiefs in the Super Bowl two years ago. The half-time show by rapper Kendrick Lamar featured actor Samuel L. Jackson as Uncle Sam, a performance by SZA, and retired tennis legend Serena Williams crip-walking under a street light.

I’ve got 1 minute

A 25% tariff on all steel and aluminum imported into the US will be levied today. Here’s what we know.

Tariffs

A ‘tariff’ is a tax on imports. It’s applied to foreign-made goods brought into another country, and paid by the importer.

For example: Country A and Country B make the same product. Country A wants its citizens to buy its own version of the product, not Country B’s, so it applies a tariff.

Importers in Country A now pay the tax when they bring in B’s product, and pass on the cost to consumers, making this version of the product more expensive to buy.

These tariffs are the latest in a series of tariffs imposed by President Trump in the last month, with only a 10% tariff on China remaining after Canada and Mexico negotiated to have theirs withdrawn.

Canada will be hardest hit, as the top exporter of steel and aluminum to the US. President Trump has also indicated tariffs may be imposed on Europe, Taiwan, and other governments in the coming weeks.

Steel and aluminium

Over the weekend, Trump announced he would impose a 25% tariff on aluminium and steel, repeating a move from his first presidency.

Steel is used in many heavy industries, such as car manufacturing and construction. Aluminium is also used in car manufacturing, and in household items including pots, pans, and foil.

According to government data, the U.S. was the world’s second largest steel importer in 2023. Its aluminium imports increased 25% between 2015 and 2022.

I’ve got 2 minutes

President Trump revoked former President Joe Biden’s security clearance and stopped his access to daily intelligence briefings on Friday. He also revoked the clearances of previous top Biden officials and other opponents, such as Anthony Blinken, former Secretary of State. They join a host of political rivals who had clearances revoked since President Trump took office last month.

What does a security clearance get you?

A government employee requires vetting to access sensitive information; the more sensitive, the more intensive the vetting. A security clearance indicates the employee passed the appropriate level of vetting for the information they’re trying to access.

However, for certain roles, such as the President, access to sensitive information is enabled upon election or appointment and revoked when the official leaves office. Therefore, Biden did not have a security clearance to be revoked, and his access relied completely on President Trump’s authorization.

What’s the custom?

Traditionally, presidents grant their predecessors access to ‘daily intelligence briefings’ as a courtesy, allowing the sitting president to ask a former president for advice on certain issues. Biden was the first in history to restrict a former president’s access to these briefings when he barred President Trump in 2021.

Will this have a big impact?

The revocation and lack of access to intelligence briefings will have little practical effect. Former presidents usually only use their access to briefings if giving advice or meeting a foreign official.

For former and current officials, the practical effect will depend on the role held. The New York Attorney General, whose clearance was revoked, appeared unaffected, saying, ‘what security clearance?’

Trump’s reasons

In his tweet, President Trump mirrored Biden's language when Biden revoked President Trump’s access in 2021, saying there was ‘no need’ for Biden to continue to have access. This has fueled theories that the revocation may be motivated by grievance.

President Trump later quoted the Hur report, which found Biden had poor memory after an investigation into why classified information was stored in his garage when he was vice-president. President Trump concluded the tweet, saying “I will always protect our national security.”

Comprehensive reasons haven’t been provided for the revocation of other officials' security clearances over the weekend.