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Did Trump really declassify all the documents in his possession?

JMB802

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It's not mentioned in the Trump team's 8/31 court filing. Perhaps because he never declassified anything? Perhaps because there are some documents that a President can't declassify?

 
It's not mentioned in the Trump team's 8/31 court filing. Perhaps because he never declassified anything? Perhaps because there are some documents that a President can't declassify?

I don't think he did. I think someone said something to him about it being an authority he had as President and he then tried to say that he did it afterwards. Doesn't work post presidency when you don't have that authority anymore.
 
It's not mentioned in the Trump team's 8/31 court filing. Perhaps because he never declassified anything? Perhaps because there are some documents that a President can't declassify?


Not a soul in America thinks Trump declassified a damned thing . He started saying this nonsense a month ago. Before that, only a complete fool would think he had.
Lots of his advisors just laughed at the suggestion.
 
I am sure Trump will say he can, but then again he says a whole lot of shit anyway.
 
I don't think he did. I think someone said something to him about it being an authority he had as President and he then tried to say that he did it afterwards. Doesn't work post presidency when you don't have that authority anymore.
This sounds very likely.

And it really astounds me that anyone thinks its a good excuse. If true, i guess it would save him from being indicted if it ever came to that, but the idea that the president was bringing stuff to his house to study up on it for the next day and that all of it became declassified the second he left with it would mean that hes declassyfying documents before he even had a chance to review them.

That could possibly be the most insane thing any president has ever done.
 
By Trump's reasoning of ultimate authority he could have started to execute his distractors as well, their argument doesn't hold up.
 
I don't think he did. I think someone said something to him about it being an authority he had as President and he then tried to say that he did it afterwards. Doesn't work post presidency when you don't have that authority anymore.
And even if he had done that, it shows just how far off the deep end the Trump cult really is. "Um actually you guys it's totally fine and normal for Trump to take some of the most sensitive documents this country possesses and recklessly declassify them without telling anybody, and toss them in an unlocked closet at his resort. If the president does it, it's not illegal!"

And they'll say that shit to you with a straight face. These people are not going to stop until somebody stops them.
 
This sounds very likely.

And it really astounds me that anyone thinks its a good excuse. If true, i guess it would save him from being indicted if it ever came to that, but the idea that the president was bringing stuff to his house to study up on it for the next day and that all of it became declassified the second he left with it would mean that hes declassyfying documents before he even had a chance to review them.

That could possibly be the most insane thing any president has ever done.
It would be very irresponsible to do but it's technically within the power of the presidency. There are lots of things that can be done that shouldn't.
 
It would be very irresponsible to do but it's technically within the power of the presidency. There are lots of things that can be done that shouldn't.
Yea. I dont deny that its possible (though i lack information on the legality of the president declassifying nuclear intelligence or something like that.)

Im just astounded at how insane the explanation is and how few of his supporters seem to understand what it means really.
 
It's not mentioned in the Trump team's 8/31 court filing. Perhaps because he never declassified anything? Perhaps because there are some documents that a President can't declassify?

I was under the impression he declassified all secret and higher tier classifications in the universe.

He was the president after all.

I mean really. He could declassify nuke codes, hand them to china for a cool 2 billion and their is nothing we could do because...well yah know, he was president and he declassified them.
 
Yes, and I just retroactively re-classified everything, so he was still illegally in possession of those documents.

Seriously, people need to stop talking about this shit as if it's a real thing.
And then they need to ask, what was his intent?
 
It would be very irresponsible to do but it's technically within the power of the presidency. There are lots of things that can be done that shouldn't.

Incorrect.

“It should be no surprise that the processes for both classifying and declassifying national defense information are elaborately regulated. A 1994 amendment to the National Security Act directed that “the President shall, by Executive order or regulation, establish procedures to govern access to classified information which shall be binding upon all departments, agencies, and offices of the executive branch of Government.”

The current Executive Order implementing this statutory command was issued by Barrack Obama in 2009.

Among other things, the order limits the authority to declassify certain information, placing under the Director of National Intelligence the authority, “after consultation with the head of the originating Intelligence Community element or department,” to “declassify, downgrade, or direct the declassification or downgrading of information or intelligence relating to intelligence sources, methods, or activities.” Those are the types of information classified as “top secret” and “sensitive compartmented information” (SCI) that the FBI retrieved from Mar-a-Lago.

Various regulations promulgated under the Executive Order require consultation with the agency that originally classified information before anyone may try to declassify it, because those agencies have what is called, in the intelligence world, “equity” in the information that must be protected.

There are numerous other statutory and regulatory restrictions that prohibited Trump from doing what he now claims to have done, including restricting the power to declassify any documents containing information relating to nuclear weapons and intelligence agents.

Significantly, some of the materials that the Justice Department just reported among those seized were identified as “human source” information, carefully regulated by statute.”
 
It would be very irresponsible to do but it's technically within the power of the presidency. There are lots of things that can be done that shouldn't.
The act of declassifying does not change the nature of sensitive material that is marked top secret because its leaking to the enemy could cause harm to the national security of the U.S. Not to mention that none of the charges in the warrant have anything to do with classification. That is why Trump's lawyers are not even mentioning that as a defense. In fact they have not given anything in the way of defense.
 
This sounds very likely.

And it really astounds me that anyone thinks its a good excuse. If true, i guess it would save him from being indicted if it ever came to that, but the idea that the president was bringing stuff to his house to study up on it for the next day and that all of it became declassified the second he left with it would mean that hes declassyfying documents before he even had a chance to review them.

That could possibly be the most insane thing any president has ever done.
You have to remember your talking about TRUMP now,
Have a nice night
 
I was under the impression he declassified all secret and higher tier classifications in the universe.

He was the president after all.

I mean really. He could declassify nuke codes, hand them to china for a cool 2 billion and their is nothing we could do because...well yah know, he was president and he declassified them.
Well, he gave Jared Top Secret Clearance and the Saudi prince gave him 2 billion. Does that count? Who would pay for Macron's "info?" The Nuclear stuff, too many to choose from. Our satellites? Sources and Methods= a bonanza.
 
It would be very irresponsible to do but it's technically within the power of the presidency. There are lots of things that can be done that shouldn't.
Here's the thing: The president can order breakfast. If someone doesn't prepare it and bring it, there's no breakfast.

Trump can order a document declassified. Until someone actually takes the necessary steps to declassify a document, including removing the words "TOP SECRET" from the document, it is still classified. So, if Trump wants to tell us who he ordered to declassify these documents, I'm sure the FBI would love to talk to that person.
 
Well, he gave Jared Top Secret Clearance and the Saudi prince gave him 2 billion. Does that count? Who would pay for Macron's "info?" The Nuclear stuff, too many to choose from. Our satellites? Sources and Methods= a bonanza.
Come on. Let's be realistic.

If Bill had appointed Chelsie to a senior adviser position who subsequently created an equity firm that was invested in a country who has trained and funded terrorists who bombed tall buildings in America who then invested 2 billion dollar in Chelsie's same equity firm...oh, after overruling a prior failed security clearance....that the paradoxes and Mycroft's and trouble 13s and conservatives etc etc would be defending Bill and Chelsie to the grave...because they are not bias yah know. They are top notch patriots.
 
China gave patents and trademarks to Ivanka straight out of the gate. What would they pay for intel? Lil' Kim'? The Ultimate Grifter's lover. Too scary to think about.
 
Come on. Let's be realistic.

If Bill had appointed Chelsie to a senior adviser position who subsequently created an equity firm that was invested in a country who has trained and funded terrorists who bombed tall buildings in America who then invested 2 billion dollar in Chelsie's same equity firm...oh, after overruling a prior failed security clearance....that the paradoxes and Mycroft's and trouble 13s and conservatives etc etc would be defending Bill and Chelsie to the grave...because they are not bias yah know. They are top notch patriots.
:cool:
 
Incorrect.

“It should be no surprise that the processes for both classifying and declassifying national defense information are elaborately regulated. A 1994 amendment to the National Security Act directed that “the President shall, by Executive order or regulation, establish procedures to govern access to classified information which shall be binding upon all departments, agencies, and offices of the executive branch of Government.”

The current Executive Order implementing this statutory command was issued by Barrack Obama in 2009.

Among other things, the order limits the authority to declassify certain information, placing under the Director of National Intelligence the authority, “after consultation with the head of the originating Intelligence Community element or department,” to “declassify, downgrade, or direct the declassification or downgrading of information or intelligence relating to intelligence sources, methods, or activities.” Those are the types of information classified as “top secret” and “sensitive compartmented information” (SCI) that the FBI retrieved from Mar-a-Lago.

Various regulations promulgated under the Executive Order require consultation with the agency that originally classified information before anyone may try to declassify it, because those agencies have what is called, in the intelligence world, “equity” in the information that must be protected.

There are numerous other statutory and regulatory restrictions that prohibited Trump from doing what he now claims to have done, including restricting the power to declassify any documents containing information relating to nuclear weapons and intelligence agents.

Significantly, some of the materials that the Justice Department just reported among those seized were identified as “human source” information, carefully regulated by statute.”
The regulations over classified information is literally an EO.
 
Here's the thing: The president can order breakfast. If someone doesn't prepare it and bring it, there's no breakfast.

Trump can order a document declassified. Until someone actually takes the necessary steps to declassify a document, including removing the words "TOP SECRET" from the document, it is still classified. So, if Trump wants to tell us who he ordered to declassify these documents, I'm sure the FBI would love to talk to that person.
Nope....if you were anyone other than the President, yes, because the President is the classifying authority on it. Those regulations are for everyone beneath that office, so far as their binding authority.
 
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