Trump Ordered Officials to Give Jared Kushner a Security Clearance

[Bushy23]

Trump Ordered Officials to Give Jared Kushner a Security Clearance (Published 2019)

The president overruled concerns from intelligence officials and the top White House lawyer about giving his son-in-law access to sensitive information.

www.nytimes.com

Seems legit.

Mr. Trump’s decision in May so troubled senior administration officials that at least one, the White House chief of staff at the time, John F. Kelly, wrote a contemporaneous internal memo about how he had been “ordered” to give Mr. Kushner the top-secret clearance.
The White House counsel at the time, Donald F. McGahn II, also wrote an internal memo outlining the concerns that had been raised about Mr. Kushner — including by the C.I.A. — and how Mr. McGahn had recommended that he not be given a top-secret clearance.

Lies.

Mr. Trump was definitive in his statements to The Times in a January interview.
“I was never involved with the security” clearances for his son-in-law, Mr. Trump said. “I know that there was issues back and forth about security for numerous people, actually. But I don’t want to get involved in that stuff.”

Here's Trump all the way back in November 2016 when it was first reported that he was trying to get clearances for his kids:

I am not trying to get "top level security clearance" for my children. This was a typically false news story.

And here's Ivanka lying about it earlier this month:

President Trump’s oldest daughter, who serves as a senior adviser in the White House, denied on Friday that her father was involved in issuing security clearances for her or her husband, Jared Kushner.
Ivanka Trump made the remarks during an interview with the ABC News host Abby Huntsman in an interview for “The View.”
“There were anonymous leaks about there being issues,” Ms. Trump said. “But the president had no involvement pertaining to my clearance or my husband’s clearance, zero.”

 

[vraiblonde]

 

[Lurk]

Didn't we hear this EXPLOSIVE news three times over the last 16 months?

 

[Ken King]

Didn't we hear this EXPLOSIVE news three times over the last 16 months?

At least, and all the great journalists haven't even checked what the law actually says on the matter or they aren't saying, so as to keep some spun-up. The relevant part being

(a) Not later than 180 days after October 14, 1994, 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. Such procedures shall, at a minimum—
(1) provide that, except as may be permitted by the President, no employee in the executive branch of Government may be given access to classified information by any department, agency, or office of the executive branch of Government unless, based upon an appropriate background investigation, such access is determined to be clearly consistent with the national security interests of the United States;

 

[Yooper]

Trump Ordered Officials to Give Jared Kushner a Security Clearance (Published 2019)

The president overruled concerns from intelligence officials and the top White House lawyer about giving his son-in-law access to sensitive information.

www.nytimes.com

Seems legit.

Lies.

Here's Trump all the way back in November 2016 when it was first reported that he was trying to get clearances for his kids:

And here's Ivanka lying about it earlier this month:

A really old, tired story. And once again, more than a bit of a nothingburger.

A snippet from over a year ago and from that formerly wonderful magazine, The Atlantic:

Even when the FBI recommends against granting a clearance, there’s nothing to prevent a president from simply overriding the system.

The FBI can recommend that an individual not be granted clearance, but it doesn’t actually do the granting. For White House staff, the White House itself makes that decision. Sometimes it will inform a staffer that he or she will not receive clearance, giving that person time to quietly and gracefully leave government. But there’s no statutory procedure that would prevent a president from deciding to let an employee work under interim clearance for eight years across two full terms.

Link: How the White House Gamed the Security-Clearance System

(BTW, what a ridiculous article title. This is the system we have, not a gaming of the system.)

--- End of line (MCP)

 

[GURPS]

well but, but, but Jared is so UNTRUSTABLE ... he couldn't pass a background check



You cannot have that man around classified information ..

 

[LtownTaxpayer]

well but, but, but Jared is so UNTRUSTABLE ... he couldn't pass a background check



You cannot have that man around classified information ..

Have there been leaks regarding classified information coming out of the White House? I can't think of any right now. The leaks that come to mind have all been in an effort to discredit the administration or the president himself. Then people leave and write a book. Maybe he should only trust family.

 

[GURPS]

Have there been leaks regarding classified information coming out of the White House?

I was being


there are plenty of leaks .... none from the Trump family that I heard about, and YOU know that would be NEWS

 

[Hijinx]

I doubt very seriously that the President's children are a large security risk, but I ask myself where were these officials when Hillary was scarfing Huma's muff and sending her emails to Weiner's computer. And then I seem to remember back when Bubba Clinton had dopers in the WH working for him that couldn't get a clearance. No way in hell Bill Clinton could have gotten a clearance for himself. nor for that matter could have Obama gotten a clearance if he hadn't been elected President.

 

[Midnightrider]

I was being


there are plenty of leaks .... none from the Trump family that I heard about, and YOU know that would be NEWS

How would you know they weren’t from the trump family?

 

[vraiblonde]

How would you know they weren’t from the trump family?

Let's try this again:

there are plenty of leaks .... none from the Trump family that I heard about, and YOU know that would be NEWS I

Better?

 

[Midnightrider]

Let's try this again:

there are plenty of leaks .... none from the Trump family that I heard about, and YOU know that would be NEWS I

Better?

Again, since they have all been anonymous how would you know?

BTW, there have been theories that either trump or one of his family was responsible for some of the leaks

 

[somdwatch]

Again, since they have all been anonymous how would you know?

BTW, there have been theories that either trump or one of his family was responsible for some of the leaks

How would you know they weren’t from the trump family?

The whole thread is useless. The last CinC wasn't even qualified for a security clearance.

 

[Bushy23]

At least, and all the great journalists haven't even checked what the law actually says on the matter or they aren't saying, so as to keep some spun-up. The relevant part being

Then why isn't Trump telling us this? If he has the power, why wouldn't he say so? Instead, he is lying and saying he had nothing to do with the security clearance.

 

[vraiblonde]

Instead, he is lying and saying he had nothing to do with the security clearance.

I don't suppose it occurred to you that the press is lying and Trump really didn't have anything to do with it?

It wouldn't be the first time the media has flat out lied to you or tried to mislead you.

 

[Midnightrider]

I don't suppose it occurred to you that the press is lying and Trump really didn't have anything to do with it?

It wouldn't be the first time the media has flat out lied to you or tried to mislead you.

So why isn’t John Kelley disputing the NYT article?

 

[This_person]

So why isn’t John Kelley disputing the NYT article?

Or, backing it up? Or, offering some kind of proof?

 

[GURPS]

it is better to keep your mouth shut

 

[Gilligan]

Then why isn't Trump telling us this? If he has the power, why wouldn't he say so? Instead, he is lying and saying he had nothing to do with the security clearance.

What does any of this change about anything anywhere? You progbots love to get your panties all wadded up over "Things That Never Matter". LOL..

 

[Yooper]

Oh, the silliness of this forum's usual Trump critics.

Some factoids to assist in understanding what's happening here....

The president does not get a security clearance. He is - literally - above "all that." His (someday, her) clearance is generated by virtue of being elected president. (Hence, the hypothetical "Manchurian Candidate" fear (a candidate already an agent of a foreign govt (the Dems on-going wet dream, re: Trump)). Hence, the real danger of HRC being elected (the fact she sold the farm to our adversaries with her illegal email server. As President she could theoretically sanction that servers use as legit.)

POTUS, as the senior declassification officer, can classify or declassify whatever he/she wishes whenever he/she wishes.

To repeat, as The Atlantic article points out, security clearances for those who work in the White House are determined by the White House.

The leaks were clearly of the "Yes, Minister'/"Yes, Prime Minister" sort: self-important functionaries who think they know better but all they really know is what they (feel they) need to do to preserve their system/jobs. The number 1 rule of bureaucracies is to ensure the survival of the bureaucracy.

--- End of line (MCP)