In an unprecedented move experts say could present a major national security risk, Donald Trump is handing out temporary top secret security clearances to White House staff without any of the usual background checks.
Senators on the Senate Intelligence Committee told NOTUS they haven’t seen the list of who or how many people are getting the security clearances, and Republicans are shrugging their shoulders about the potential dangers.
Trump signed a memo Monday allowing his office to send a list of people who could be “immediately granted interim Top Secret/Sensitive Compartmented Information (TS/SCI) security clearances,” pointing to a backlog, which the memo says is hindering the White House’s ability to function. Senate Republicans defended Trump’s sweeping action, alleging he was left with little choice.