Summary
Donald Trump’s transition team plans to grant sweeping security clearances to cabinet picks before traditional FBI background checks, delaying vetting until the new administration takes over the bureau and installs its own officials.
This move could bypass FBI scrutiny and delay classified briefings until Trump’s January 20 inauguration.
The approach reflects Trump’s distrust of the FBI, rooted in its role during the Russia investigation, and mirrors past controversies like Jared Kushner’s delayed clearance, which Trump overrode despite FBI and CIA concerns.
Critics warn this could undermine vetting and create potential security risks.
Basically he already knows his picks are susceptible to foreign influence, because many are already under foreign influence, so background checks would just complicate things. He doesn’t care about protecting national secrets as evidenced by him stealing them and storing them in his resort without much security.
He almost certainly didn’t just store them. There were folio’s with missing classified documents. He sold US national secrets.
We get that HE doesn’t care, but why tf doesn’t America? Why would these vetting institutions just waive the standard?