One of the more amusing aspects of his taking, retaining after being subpoenaed, trying to hide, etc. the documents, is that when he was president he was notoriously unwilling to do ANY reading of ANY material. Maybe his defense should argue that he was “just catching up”?
The President is the only office holder that has the unlimited authority to declassify anything. This power is derived from Article II of the Constitution which the Executive Office President, used to create our current classification system in the wake of WWII. Let’s recap that, it was the Presidents who created our classification system and modified it over the ensuing years. Now, what one President can do, another can undo. In President Trump’s case, and for every President, he literally can snap his fingers, point or wave his hands over documents and say they are declassified. Heck, he doesn’t really have to do that, he just needs to designate which documents he wants to take with him and his subordinates are responsible for any subsequent actions as far as removing any classified markings. The primary agency responsible for transporting those documents in a secure fashion is the General Services Administration. That is the primary agency which is required to do whatever is necessary to change the classified markings and follow whatever regulations needed to declassify documents. What? You think that the President is going to personally go through each document and change the classification markings? Hahah!
dyerjames944 11 months ago
Anybody got a match.
ferddo 11 months ago
If he thinks about declassifying himself what kind of image will he expose?
Havel 11 months ago
One of the more amusing aspects of his taking, retaining after being subpoenaed, trying to hide, etc. the documents, is that when he was president he was notoriously unwilling to do ANY reading of ANY material. Maybe his defense should argue that he was “just catching up”?
Kracklin Rosie - “Tolo Dan Nan Galad” Premium Member 11 months ago
The President is the only office holder that has the unlimited authority to declassify anything. This power is derived from Article II of the Constitution which the Executive Office President, used to create our current classification system in the wake of WWII. Let’s recap that, it was the Presidents who created our classification system and modified it over the ensuing years. Now, what one President can do, another can undo. In President Trump’s case, and for every President, he literally can snap his fingers, point or wave his hands over documents and say they are declassified. Heck, he doesn’t really have to do that, he just needs to designate which documents he wants to take with him and his subordinates are responsible for any subsequent actions as far as removing any classified markings. The primary agency responsible for transporting those documents in a secure fashion is the General Services Administration. That is the primary agency which is required to do whatever is necessary to change the classified markings and follow whatever regulations needed to declassify documents. What? You think that the President is going to personally go through each document and change the classification markings? Hahah!