Presidential question

[lonestar50]

Once a president is elected does he/she automatically get clearance to all US secrets? Like can they say "I want to know about the aliens at Area 51" or "I want to know who was really behind the Kennedy assassination"

Or do they say, no you're the leader of the US but you don't have the clearance to know that information

 

[lucas80]

Yes, full access. They can direct their staff to obtain any records and archives they want to see.

 

[GOHOX69]

Yes, full access. They can direct their staff to obtain any records and archives they want to see.

That's not true. See here.

From a Cia spook.

As it was explained to me back in the late 1980’s when I went through the process to get my TS/SCI clearance, there are different levels. There is Confidential, Secret, and Top Secret. The SCI part stands for Secret Compartmented Information. That last bit is key, say if you work for places like Area 51 (not talking about UFOs here) and they need to keep a project broken into groups. The more information you have access to, the bigger a picture you can paint—but I digress. The President of the United States of America is given a Secret clearance when he/she takes office. This is what the guy from the FBI told me.

Surely he (or she) would need to know intelligence that was rated above Secret? That was my big response. And this is where it gets interesting. The Director of each Intelligence agency has it within their power to clear the POTUS to be briefed on anything they feel the POTUS has a need to know, clearance level or no.

Let that sink in.

The most powerful elected position in this country’s Federal government depends on the opinion and permission of appointees to high level positions within our government. I’m no Deep State or QAnon believer but that fact has always stuck in my craw. The POTUS only has access to what an Intelligence Agency Director allows.

Sensitive compartmented information - Wikipedia

en.m.wikipedia.org

I have a friend who works in a highly classified capacity in the federal government. They basically develop systems to communicate with submerged subs to launch nukes etc. I asked him once if the President could find the tech or me hehe. He curtly said no to both. So endeth that convo. He wouldn't even tell me wtf he worked for or where that was.

 

[lucas80]

That seems like semantics. Maybe they don't dump raw data on the Resolute desk, but as the head of the executive branch a POTUS can direct briefings on any subject. This came up many times in the Trump Administration because he kept blabbing about stuff.

 

[GOHOX69]

That seems like semantics. Maybe they don't dump raw data on the Resolute desk, but as the head of the executive branch a POTUS can direct briefings on any subject. This came up many times in the Trump Administration because he kept blabbing about stuff.

Agree to disagree. To a large extent yes. Everything, no. And yes, we lawyers deal in semantics.

 

[BelemNole]

President doesn't have a clearance. He is not vetted. He is allowed any info he needs. The thing is, he has to ask. So if there is an issue he is briefed. The person briefing him will give him the info they believe he needs to know in order to act. There can be lots of details they leave out because he doesn't need it. Names, dates, methods, etc. Can he ASK for those? Yes, but typically they don't and it's safer for him if he doesn't know that info. Have there been times when this has been used to keep info from him? Without a doubt. But legally he can demand access to anything.

 

[HawkBall23]

There's a good reason that a President isn't allowed to know everything or more than they should, especially 'hard copies'.

They might take it home and keep/hide it in their bathroom.