Trump Granted Security Clearances Despite Unvetted Officials
President Trump issued an executive order granting six-month interim security clearances to incoming White House officials facing vetting delays, a move national security lawyers deem unusual. This action, attributed to a backlog partly caused by Trump’s delayed transition process, bypasses standard security protocols, including polygraph tests. Concerns exist that this could compromise intelligence sharing with foreign partners due to the lack of vetting. The backlog stemmed from Trump’s team delaying the necessary agreements with the FBI, a delay consistent with his broader distrust of the national security establishment.
John Q. Hosedrinker