Trump signs orders targeting two ex-officials who criticised him
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US President Donald Trump called one of them a traitor and said they should be investigated.
PHOTO: REUTERS
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WASHINGTON - US President Donald Trump on April 9 signed directives targeting two former government officials who criticised him during his first term, calling one of them a traitor and saying they should be investigated.
One of Mr Trump’s directives named Mr Christopher Krebs, his former cyber security chief, and said any security clearance he has would be revoked.
A second presidential memorandum targeted Mr Miles Taylor, who was a top official at the Department of Homeland Security during Mr Trump’s first term and anonymously wrote a 2019 book criticising the then-president.
The order stripped Mr Taylor of any security clearance he might have and ordered the Justice Department to investigate him.
“I think it’s a very important case, and I think he’s guilty of treason, if you want to know the truth, but we’ll find out,” said Mr Trump as he signed the order on Mr Taylor.
In response, Mr Taylor said via text message: “I said this would happen. Dissent isn’t unlawful. It certainly isn’t treasonous. America is headed down a dark path.”
Mr Krebs had questioned Mr Trump’s claims of election fraud in the 2020 presidential election in which he lost to Democrat Joe Biden.
The order signed on April 9 called for a review of Mr Krebs’ activities as a government employee, including his leadership of the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (Cisa), a White House fact sheet said.
“We’re going to find out about this guy too because this guy is a wise guy,” said Mr Trump, calling Mr Krebs “a disgrace”.
Mr Krebs did not immediately reply to a request for comment.
Mr Trump fired Mr Krebs in a Nov 17, 2020, tweet, five days after Cisa posted a statement saying the 2020 election was “the most secure in American history”. Mr Trump has falsely claimed that Mr Biden’s win resulted from fraud.
After leaving government, Mr Krebs co-founded the Krebs Stamos Group, a cyber-security consultancy, along with former Facebook chief security officer Alex Stamos.
Cyber-security firm SentinelOne acquired the consultancy in November 2023, and Mr Krebs became SentinelOne’s chief intelligence and public policy officer.
Mr Trump’s order said security clearances for individuals at Sentinel One would also be revoked pending review. A spokesperson for SentinelOne declined to comment. REUTERS
