Donald Trump’s attempt to retaliate against his political opponents by revoking their security clearances isn’t going as planned, as he appears to have made several glaring mistakes in the process.
Former Republican Congressman Adam Kinzinger, who served on the January 6th committee and retired from Congress, was at a barbecue with friends when he learned that Trump had decided to revoke his security clearance.
But there was a catch: Kinzinger didn’t have one to revoke.
“While I was enjoying the company of friends, Trump was trembling with rage,” Kinzinger wrote on Substack. “Well, it looks like Donald Trump has done it again—another petty, performative move designed to punish his perceived enemies, regardless of reality. Reports are circulating that he’s decided to revoke my security clearance. The only problem? I don’t have one.”
Kinzinger went on to explain that he retired from the military a year ago and left behind any security clearances when he stepped away from Congress. He emphasized that in Trump’s world, facts often take a backseat to personal vendettas.
“Revoking a clearance I don’t even have is laughable, but it’s also revealing,” Kinzinger added. “This is how a wannabe strongman operates—by targeting political enemies, real or imagined, with no regard for legitimacy. He’s testing the waters, seeing how much control he can exert over institutions designed to serve the people, not his personal vendettas.”
Kinzinger also highlighted the bigger issue at play.
“If he’s willing to abuse power this blatantly over something so trivial, imagine what he’ll do next. Imagine what happens when his enemies list includes judges, journalists, or everyday Americans who simply refuse to go along,” Kinzinger said. “Trump’s threats don’t scare me. His insults don’t silence me. If anything, this latest stunt only proves what we’ve all known for years—he’s more focused on punishing critics than protecting the country.”
Kinzinger is now the second person to reveal that Trump attempted to revoke a security clearance they didn’t have. Earlier, former U.S. Army officer Alexander Vindman mocked Trump after finding out he was also on the list of individuals blocked from receiving classified briefings.
“I haven’t had an active security clearance for five years,” Vindman said on MSNBC.
Vindman brushed off Trump’s actions as “noise” and “Friday night theater.” He added, “They’re running out of, like, you know, really cool plays. So now they’re going deep, and it’s pretty absurd where they’re headed. And frankly, I don’t care. This is not something that I’m gonna lose sleep over.”
