No Trump didn't commit treason or espionage

[Rust_Cohle]

No, Trump didn't commit actionable treason or espionage

The headlines are damning: Trump had national security documents or classified documents or nuclear secret documents in his possession, a clear criminal violation. One former CIA head even put out a tweet effectively saying that Trump shou...

americanthinker.com

The president of the United States has plenary power over national security issues, including document classification. That means that, under the Constitution, as to national security, the president has complete and unlimited power. He is the king of the national security world, and no one can gainsay him, whether the bureaucrats who work for him, Congress, or the Supreme Court.

Democrats, however, are pushing back against this reality. The best example I've found comes from Graeme Wood, an African-American studies and philosophy major, who authored the above-mentioned Atlantic article (which is currently The Atlantic's "most popular" article).

Wood reluctantly concedes some of the president's unlimited power. He quotes J. William Leonard, former head of the Information Security Oversight Office, who said that "the rules and procedures governing the classification and declassification of information apply to everyone else [other than the president]." Wood continues, saying, "[The president] would not have had to file paperwork — just 'utter the magic words,' Leonard told me." In other words, Wood acknowledges that Trump, while president, by packing up and taking documents with him, automatically declassified them.

I wonder if this will get moved to conspiracy by Jannies even though it's TRUTH

 

[forkup]

No, Trump didn't commit actionable treason or espionage

The headlines are damning: Trump had national security documents or classified documents or nuclear secret documents in his possession, a clear criminal violation. One former CIA head even put out a tweet effectively saying that Trump shou...

americanthinker.com

The president of the United States has plenary power over national security issues, including document classification. That means that, under the Constitution, as to national security, the president has complete and unlimited power. He is the king of the national security world, and no one can gainsay him, whether the bureaucrats who work for him, Congress, or the Supreme Court.

Democrats, however, are pushing back against this reality. The best example I've found comes from Graeme Wood, an African-American studies and philosophy major, who authored the above-mentioned Atlantic article (which is currently The Atlantic's "most popular" article).

Wood reluctantly concedes some of the president's unlimited power. He quotes J. William Leonard, former head of the Information Security Oversight Office, who said that "the rules and procedures governing the classification and declassification of information apply to everyone else [other than the president]." Wood continues, saying, "[The president] would not have had to file paperwork — just 'utter the magic words,' Leonard told me." In other words, Wood acknowledges that Trump, while president, by packing up and taking documents with him, automatically declassified them.

I wonder if this will get moved to conspiracy by Jannies even though it's TRUTH

The President of the United States has that power. An ex-president doesn't. It also doesn't work retroactively or by the power of him wishing it into existence. And no the action of taking them with them doesn't automatically declassify them.

 

[Stann]

No, Trump didn't commit actionable treason or espionage

The headlines are damning: Trump had national security documents or classified documents or nuclear secret documents in his possession, a clear criminal violation. One former CIA head even put out a tweet effectively saying that Trump shou...

americanthinker.com

The president of the United States has plenary power over national security issues, including document classification. That means that, under the Constitution, as to national security, the president has complete and unlimited power. He is the king of the national security world, and no one can gainsay him, whether the bureaucrats who work for him, Congress, or the Supreme Court.

Democrats, however, are pushing back against this reality. The best example I've found comes from Graeme Wood, an African-American studies and philosophy major, who authored the above-mentioned Atlantic article (which is currently The Atlantic's "most popular" article).

Wood reluctantly concedes some of the president's unlimited power. He quotes J. William Leonard, former head of the Information Security Oversight Office, who said that "the rules and procedures governing the classification and declassification of information apply to everyone else [other than the president]." Wood continues, saying, "[The president] would not have had to file paperwork — just 'utter the magic words,' Leonard told me." In other words, Wood acknowledges that Trump, while president, by packing up and taking documents with him, automatically declassified them.

I wonder if this will get moved to conspiracy by Jannies even though it's TRUTH

That can only be determined by a court of law. The evidence keeps falling up. Whether they prosecute or not, it's all up to the justice department not us.

 

[occupied]

Trump's presidential powers ended on inauguration day. What a joke to claim he still has any vestige of that power remaining. He is citizen Trump now, no more, no less.

 

[Rust_Cohle]

The President of the United States has that power. An ex-president doesn't. It also doesn't work retroactively or by the power of him wishing it into existence. And no the action of taking them with them doesn't automatically declassify them.

Anything related to his time in office that he took with him is declassified. Many ex Presidents do the same as these records become part of their Presidential Library. Obama took 33 million pages, when is his arrest and FBI shakedown? Hillary and her private email server was against the law she was Sec of State yet no FBI shakedown for her either.

This is more partisan attacks to try and keep Trump from running again simple as

 

[Rust_Cohle]

Trump's presidential powers ended on inauguration day. What a joke to claim he still has any vestige of that power remaining. He is citizen Trump now, no more, no less.

Again since you can't read, any records from his time in office taken by him are declassified at that time. This is another nothing burger by democrats

 

[Rust_Cohle]

That can only be determined by a court of law. The evidence keeps falling up. Whether they prosecute or not, it's all up to the justice department not us.

Wrong, the executive branch has that authority and any docs taken were all from his time in office. See FBI receipt here

 

[excalibur]

The President of the United States has that power. An ex-president doesn't. It also doesn't work retroactively or by the power of him wishing it into existence. And no the action of taking them with them doesn't automatically declassify them.

He did prior to leaving office.

 

[Rust_Cohle]

Wrong, the executive branch has that authority and any docs taken were all from his time in office. See FBI receipt here

View attachment 682044

FBI warrant. All docs taken were from his time as President and Head of the Executive Branch

 

[Esdraelon]

Trump's presidential powers ended on inauguration day. What a joke to claim he still has any vestige of that power remaining. He is citizen Trump now, no more, no less.

Correct. IIRC, he left prior to Biden's inauguration. It's not like he went back and stole documents. Those in question arrived in his home while he was still POTUS.

 

[occupied]

Again since you can't read, any records from his time in office taken by him are declassified at that time. This is another nothing burger by democrats

Trump has always tried to make his own rules but in this case there is no plausible excuse to be in possession of classified documents. If he had just took a bunch of non-sensitive souvenirs no one would give a shit.

 

[Stann]

Anything related to his time in office that he took with him is declassified. Many ex Presidents do the same as these records become part of their Presidential Library. Obama took 33 million pages, when is his arrest and FBI shakedown? Hillary and her private email server was against the law she was Sec of State yet no FBI shakedown for her either.

This is more partisan attacks to try and keep Trump from running again simple as

Declassification is a regimented process it takes paperwork to back it up and ambition. Something Trump obviously lacked, because he did none of the work to even try to get them declassified. Besides documents of that high level of security are not declassified ever.

 

[Mac1958]

Amazing, the conclusions people can draw with so little real information.

 

[occupied]

Correct. IIRC, he left prior to Biden's inauguration. It's not like he went back and stole documents. Those in question arrived in his home while he was still POTUS.

Not a good argument. Biden as president has the power to get that stuff back by any means as the new "king of national security".

 

[Stann]

Not a good argument. Biden as president has the power to get that stuff back by any means as the new "king of national security".

We don't have Kings in America. trump tried that, that's why he lost.

 

[occupied]

We don't have Kings in America. trump tried that, that's why he lost.

OP used the term "king of national security". That's why I put it in quotes. I know in reality that even presidents are on a need to know basis and must adhere to the laws and standards of anyone who holds a security clearance.

 

[Missourian]

The Dems are desperate.

They've invested soooo much energy in their fruitless attempt to keep Trump from the presidency ..abd everything they do has the opposite effect.

They are Wiley Coyote, making more and more outlandish plans that continuously explode in their faces.

 

[Stann]

The Dems are desperate.

They've invested soooo much energy in their fruitless attempt to keep Trump from the presidency ..abd everything they do has the opposite effect.

They are Wiley Coyote, making more and more outlandish plans that continuously explode in their faces.

No Democrat had anything to do with this. This is the justice department during its job protecting our nation. No one is about the law.

 

[Missourian]

No Democrat had anything to do with this. This is the justice department during its job protecting our nation. No one is about the law.

If you believe that, I have some ocean front property next door you might be interested in.

 

[Moonglow]

Anything related to his time in office that he took with him is declassified. Many ex Presidents do the same as these records become part of their Presidential Library. Obama took 33 million pages, when is his arrest and FBI shakedown? Hillary and her private email server was against the law she was Sec of State yet no FBI shakedown for her either.

This is more partisan attacks to try and keep Trump from running again simple as

As for the president's power to declassify materials, here's some background on how it works, according to current and former intelligence officials familiar with the declassification process.

First, a U.S. president does have uniquely sweeping declassification abilities, though there is a process that involves written documentation and several other steps.

It's not the case that a president can declassify documents with just verbal instructions. His instruction to declassify a given document would first be memorialized in a written memo, usually drafted by White House counsel, which he would then sign.

Typically, the leadership of the agency or agencies with equities in the document would be consulted and given an opportunity to provide their views on the declassification decision. As the ultimate declassification authority, however, the president can decide to override any objections they raise.
Once a final decision is made, and the relevant agency receives the president's signed memo, the physical document in question would be marked — the old classification level would be crossed out — and the document would then be stamped, "Declassified on X date" by the agency in question.

Trump says "it was all declassified" — how declassification usually works

FBI agents seized several sets of records of various classified levels from Trump's home in Florida.

www.cbsnews.com