The White House reportedly plans to follow tradition and authorize national security briefings for Trump after he officially becomes his party’s nominee at the Republican National Convention in July. Serious financial need is a top reason for denial of clearances for federal government positions requiring access to classified national security information, due to vulnerability to bribery or coercion. Given the risks posed by Trump’s access to national security intelligence, we must ask whether Biden’s asymmetrical belief in sticking to political norms is an Achilles heel. In opting to provide intelligence briefings to candidate Trump, they are likely to impose conditions on the briefings for security reasons. In granting intelligence briefings to his rival, he clearly reasoned that preserving a nonpartisan tradition was the wisest decision at this difficult moment in the nation’s history.

---

Persons: Frederick D, Baron, Dennis Aftergut, Donald Trump, Joe Biden, Frederick Baron, Cooley, Biden, Trump, Jamie Raskin, Robert Hur’s, Jack Smith, Raskin, “, Putin, ”, Steve Benen, John Bolton, Obama, John Brennan, Adam Schiff, • Organizations: of National Security, Department of Justice, Intelligence, Defending American Democracy, CNN, Trump, White, Republican National Convention, Sensible, Southern District of, Maryland, Foreign Relations, Helsinki Trump, NATO, MSNBC, Mar, National Security Council, National Security, CIA, House Intelligence, Thursday’s State, Union Locations: Southern District, Southern District of Florida, Russia, Helsinki, “, New York, Thursday’s