Biden says Trump should no longer receive intelligence briefings due to his 'erratic behavior'



President Joe Biden says he believes former President Donald Trump should no longer receive intelligence briefings—a privilege granted to all former presidents—due to what he called Trump's "erratic behavior."

What are the details?

During an interview with "CBS Evening News with Norah O'Donnell" that aired Friday, the host asked Biden, "Should President Trump still receive intelligence briefings?"

"I think not," Biden replied. When asked to explain, he said, "Because of his erratic behavior unrelated to the insurrection."

O'Donnell noted, "I mean, you've called [Trump] an existential threat, you've called him dangerous, you've called him reckless."

Biden responded, "Yeah, I have, and I believe it."

The Democrat went on to say that while he "would rather not speculate out loud" about any fears he has about Trump receiving further intel, saying, "I just think that there's no need for him to have the intelligence briefing."

He the asked rhetorically, "What value is giving him an intelligence briefing? What impact does he have at all, other than the fact he might slip and say something?"

Biden says "no need" for Trump to still receive intel briefings www.youtube.com

The Hill reported that "the White House said earlier this week that its national security team is conducting a review to determine whether Trump should continue to receive intelligence briefings after having left office," noting that "CNN reported Thursday that the U.S. intelligence community would review any requests for intelligence briefings from Trump, in keeping with normal practice."

President Trump is set to undergo a second impeachment trial in the Senate, after the House voted to impeach him for incitement of an insurrection due to his actions surrounding the Jan. 6 attack on the U.S. Capitol by a mob of his supporters.

The former president has not wavered in his claim that the Nov. 3 election was "rigged" and stolen from him, and he held a rally ahead of the Capitol siege in protest of the Electoral College results—which were certified by Congress after members resumed the joint session that was interrupted by the deadly attack.

When O'Donnell asked Biden, a former longtime Senator from Delaware, how he would vote on whether to convict Trump were he still in the upper chamber, he refused to answer.

Biden then said of Trump, "Look, I ran like hell to defeat him because I thought he was unfit to be president. I've watched what everybody else watched, what happened when that crew invaded the United States Congress. But I'm not in the Senate now. I'll let the Senate make that decision."

Gov. Gavin Newsom calls Mitch McConnell an 'invertebrate,' compares him to slugs and snails



Despite recent calls for "unity" and "healing" from former Vice President Joe Biden following the 2020 presidential election, California Gov. Gavin Newsom fired off insults at Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) on Thursday.

Newsom, a Democrat, attacked McConnell on Twitter by calling him an "invertebrate." Newsom insinuated that McConnell is spineless because of his non-commitment on whether Biden should be granted access to classified intelligence briefings.

In the tweet, Newsom linked to a CNN article with the headline: "Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell declines to respond to a question about whether President-elect Joe Biden should receive classified briefings." Newsom also provided the definition of an invertebrate, and included examples such as "jellyfish, corals, slugs, snails, octopuses," and said that McConnell was also an animal lacking a backbone.

Invertebrate [in-vur-tuh-brit, -breyt]: an animal lacking a backbone.Ranging from well known animals such as jell… https://t.co/P6aqyNqUdM
— Gavin Newsom (@Gavin Newsom)1605208189.0

While McConnell has not commented on Biden obtaining access to intelligence briefings, other Republicans have weighed in on the topic.

House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.) said Biden is "not president right now," adding, "Don't know if he'll be president January 20, but whoever is will get the information."

Senate Armed Services Committee Chairman James Inhofe (R-Okla.) said, "I've always felt that any candidate should not necessarily be involved in those until that person becomes the president-elect and he is not the president-elect."

Other Republicans have said that Biden should be authorized to receive intelligence briefings.

Sen. Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa) told CNN, "I would think, especially on classified briefings, the answer is yes."

Sen. Mitt Romney (R-Utah) said, "I think it is very much in our national interest to have the president-elect receiving information."

Sen. Susan Collins (R-Maine) insisted that Biden "should be receiving intelligence briefings right now."

Sen. James Lankford (R-Okla.) went so far as to say that he would "step in" if Biden wasn't given access by Friday.

"There is no loss from him getting the briefings and to be able to do that and if that's not occurring by Friday I will step in as well, and to be able to push and to say this needs to occur so that regardless of the outcome of the election ... people can be ready for that actual task," Lankford told KRMG on Wednesday. "I can assure you there will be a peaceful transition of power in the United States."

President Trump has disputed the results of the election, and his legal team has filed several election lawsuits in several battleground states. The results of the presidential election have yet to be certified.