Once again, it is being revealed that Trump pressured administration officials to grant his family members a top-level security clearance — this time being Ivanka Trump. Two officials, John Kelly and Don McGahn, recommended refusing Ivanka a security clearance in conjunction with their concerns about her husband Jared. According to CNN,
Because they are a married couple, concerns that surfaced during one person’s security clearance investigation could stall or block both of them from receiving a full clearance.”
It’s apparent that Trump is throwing his own family under the bus as he didn’t notify Ivanka of his objective to grant her a security clearance. If Ivanka had known, she may have sought legal advice due to her marriage to Jared Kushner. However, Trump’s glib, uncalculated decision is causing a major rift among administration officials, and it’s revealing his reckless approach to national security issues.
It’s simply astonishing that Trump ignored Kushner’s various foreign interests and the fact that Ivanka is married to him. Remember, Jared Kushner had his top-level security clearance downgraded after chief of staff John Kelly’s demands for stricter clearance guidelines were revealed. This demand was a consequence of a West Wing staffer accused of domestic violence receiving a clearance. And this is precisely the moment when Trump went on a tirade and badgered Administration officials to reapprove a top-level security clearance for Jared Kushner.
Trump’s attempt to pressure officials to grant Ivanka Trump a security clearance is cutting against the cogent assertions being put forth by the intelligence community and administration officials, and this is putting America at risk — as we don’t know if family members like Jared are working in the interest of the Saudi government, Russian banks, the Israeli Prime Minister, or any number of foreign interests that have been pointed out as potential security risks associated with Kushner.
Worse still, there’s never been any good reason provided by the administration that Ivanka even needs a security clearance, let alone the kind of top-level clearance that Trump forced his underlings to arrange for her.
Featured image via DC Tribune Gallery
