Staff Reports
A memo making the rounds among a cadre of advisers for Donald Trump suggests that if he wins the 2024 presidential election, he could sidestep the traditional FBI background checks for appointees by allowing a private agency to handle the issuance of security clearances. This groundbreaking idea is being pushed by a team that includes none other than Boris Epshteyn, Trump’s legal adviser and key player in his current campaign. Apparently, the team believes that the FBI’s vetting process is about as effective as a screen door on a submarine.
Under the proposed scheme, private-sector investigators would step in to do the heavy lifting concerning background checks. It seems the advisers have recognized what many Americans already know—doubt about the FBI’s impartiality has reached a boiling point. After years of scrutiny and accusations of politicization, it’s not surprising that Trump’s crew would prefer to rely on outside resources that might actually have a vested interest in ensuring their candidates don’t have skeletons in their closets that could haunt the administration. After all, who needs the FBI when you could get thorough checks from people who don’t see a collusion conspiracy behind every corner?
Trump advisers propose private agency, not FBI, issue security clearances to appointees, report https://t.co/inBz7xVOdL via @JustTheNews
— MMCOWRD (AKA.. MadCow) (@MMCOWRD) October 29, 2024
The report from The New York Times indicates that there is no clear word yet from Trump on whether he’ll sign off on this proposal. However, given his history of sparring with the FBI throughout his presidency, one could almost hear the echoes of his disdain. Trump has cried foul over alleged attempts by certain unelected officials within the agency to interfere with his administration and his political endeavor. It seems that the notion of a private agency doing the vetting has a certain appeal, especially for someone who has spent years being investigated rather than investigating himself.
This proposed shift in security clearance procedures raises some eyebrows and quite a few questions. Is this a step towards draining the swamp, or merely another twist in the ongoing saga of Washington’s power plays? Some might say it could lead to a more streamlined and less biased vetting process, while others might view it as a way to weaken established protocols that have withstood the test of time—even if that test was mostly just fighting off politicization.
With Trump’s 2024 campaign heating up, it’s clear this memo is much more than just idle chatter. Depending on how this unfolds, it could be viewed as either a bold, necessary reform or yet another reckless move that might further divide an already polarized political landscape. Either way, the idea of swimming against the current of FBI scrutiny might just be the fresh idea Trump needs to rally support among those weary of government overreach. The campaign trail in the weeks to come will reveal whether this proposal has any real traction or if it will end up floating down the political river, lost among the flotsam and jetsam of history.
