Donald Trump’s three oldest children are expected to assume control of his array of businesses once he assumes the presidency. | AP Photo Trump: I'm not trying to get 'top level security clearance' for my kids

Donald Trump said Wednesday morning that he is not seeking security clearances for his children, refuting reporting by CBS News and others that he had done so.

“I am not trying to get 'top level security clearance' for my children. This was a typically false news story,” Trump wrote on Twitter. It's unclear if Trump was denying any clearance.


The Manhattan billionaire is known to confide in his children, especially his three eldest, and while nepotism laws would prevent him from putting them into government jobs, he could still designate them as advisers in order to get them a security clearance. Trump’s three oldest children are expected to assume control of his array of businesses once he assumes the presidency, which could create a conflict of interest if they were also given security clearances.

It was not immediately clear if Trump includes his son-in-law Jared Kushner among “my children.” Kushner is a close adviser to Trump and is believed to be in the running for a White House position. He traveled with Trump to Washington last week, meeting with White House chief of staff Dennis McDonough while the president-elect met with President Barack Obama.

Trump’s team has been somewhat conflicted when asked whether security clearances were requested for the children. His campaign manager Kellyanne Conway said during a variety of appearances Tuesday morning that she was aware only of what she had read in the press and that any request was made informally. But senior communications adviser Jason Miller told CNN that “the President-elect has not requested security clearance for any family members and no paperwork has been submitted to this effect. Any reporting otherwise is inaccurate.”

