WASHINGTON: US President Joe Biden said Friday that his predecessor Donald Trump, who is awaiting a Senate impeachment trial on charges of inciting an attack on the US Capitol, should not receive classified intelligence briefings, as is customary for former presidents.

“I just think that there is no need for him to have the intelligence briefings. 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 said in an interview with the CBS Evening News.

The new Democratic leader cited Trump’s “erratic behaviour unrelated to the insurrection” of January 6, when he is accused of encouraging his supporters to smash their way into Congress to prevent lawmakers from certifying Biden’s election victory.

Trump insisted that the election had been stolen from him, despite overwhelming evidence that it had not, and despite losing dozens of legal challenges to Biden’s win.

While in the White House, Trump repeatedly triggered concern over his use or dismissal of intelligence. In May 2017, he reportedly shared classified information in a meeting with Russia’s foreign minister and ambassador that US intelligence believed put an ally’s assets at risk.—AFP