• psmgx@lemmy.world
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    1 year ago

    It would make sense for them to double and triple check everything, dot all their i’s and cross all their t’s, and make sure everything is as utterly airtight as they can make it.

    absolutely. and he got impeached twice, so he’s been playing safe.

    The president also is ultimately the head of the “Departments” to include the Dept of Defense. All of the clearances and document classifications exist via presidential authority, so there are some genuine questions as to if a President can snap his fingers and change a classification, and how those rules interact with other laws about unauthorized disclosures. Which is also why Trump getting elected was such a coup for the Russians, as was a strongly Republican Supreme Court (who could bail him out if/when it gets to SCOTUS).

      • TechyDad@lemmy.world
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        1 year ago

        Exactly. Imagine how the intelligence community would have to treat classified information if it could be declassified purely by a President waking up and thinking “it’s declassified.” Nobody would know what is still classified and what isn’t. Classified information might get leaked out because of a rumor that the President declassified something. Declassified information might still be treated as classified by some because nobody knows what is and what isn’t classified.

        There’s a process for a reason. Trump suggesting he can just “think” it declassified is totally ridiculous.