President-elect Donald Trump has denied trying to get security clearances for his children, which would grant them access to classified government information.
“I am not trying to get ‘top level security clearance’ for my children. This was a typically false news story,” Trump wrote in a tweet Wednesday morning.
I am not trying to get “top level security clearance” for my children. This was a typically false news story.
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) November 16, 2016
The real-estate magnate was referring toa report by CBS Newspublished Monday that alleges Trump’s team asked the current administration to “explore the possibility of getting his children top secret security clearances,” citing sources within the campaign. Jason Miller, who is now communications director for the transition team, told CBS that no official request had been made.
Clearances would grant Donald Jr., Eric, Ivanka Trump and her husband Jared Kushner access to secure communications technology, travel schedules and Secret Service procedures,CNNreported. It would also allow their father to discuss matters of national security with the family. Laws prohibit Trump from hiring his children or any family members to positions in the White House, but CBS reported that they do not need to be government officials to receive such clearances.
However, while the three eldest children were all named to Trump’s White House transition team, they have all stated that they won’t hold roles in his cabinet after inauguration, but will instead continue to run the family business. Politicoreported Wednesday that it’s unclear if Kushner falls under that umbrella. The son-in-law is one of the president-elect’s closest advisers, and is rumored to be in the running for a White House position. — Reuters contributed to this report.
