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Related: Editorials & Other Articles, Issue Forums, Alliance Forums, Region ForumsNational Security: Trump could disclose the secrets he learned [...] current and former officials fear
https://www.washingtonpost.com/national-security/trump-possible-security-risk/2020/11/09/f19c853e-229e-11eb-952e-0c475972cfc0_story.htmlNational Security
As an ex-president, Trump could disclose the secrets he learned while in office, current and former officials fear
November 10, 2020 at 7:00 a.m. EST
As president, Donald Trump selectively revealed highly classified information to attack his adversaries, gain political advantage and to impress or intimidate foreign governments, in some cases jeopardizing U.S. intelligence capabilities. As an ex-president, theres every reason to worry he will do the same, thus posing a unique national security dilemma for the Biden administration, current and former officials and analysts said.
All presidents exit the office with valuable national secrets in their heads, including the procedures for launching nuclear weapons, intelligence-gathering capabilities including assets deep inside foreign governments and the development of new and advanced weapon systems.
But no new president has ever had to fear that his predecessor might expose the nations secrets as President-elect Joe Biden must with Trump, current and former officials said. Not only does Trump have a history of disclosures, he checks the boxes of a classic counterintelligence risk: He is deeply in debt and angry at the U.S. government, particularly what he describes as the deep state conspiracy that he believes tried to stop him from winning the White House in 2016 and what he falsely claims is an illegal effort to rob him of reelection.
(...)
Anyone who is disgruntled, dissatisfied or aggrieved is a risk of disclosing classified information, whether as a current or former officeholder. Trump certainly fits that profile, said David Priess, a former CIA officer and author of The Presidents Book of Secrets, a history of the top-secret intelligence briefings that presidents and their staff receive while in office.
(...)
As president, Trump has access to all classified information in the government and the authority to declassify and share any of it, for any reason. After he leaves office, he still will have access to the classified records of his administration. But the legal ability to disclose them disappears once Biden is sworn in January.
Many concerned experts were quick to note that Trump reportedly paid scant attention during his presidential intelligence briefings and has never evinced a clear understanding of how the national security apparatus works. His ignorance may be the best counterweight to the risk he poses.
FarPoint
(12,351 posts)Remember, within the first 2 weeks of taking the Oval Office...he had the Russians in there ....tRump was feeling arroganty and like he won the lottery...not aware of what it takes to be the President of the United States...
NurseJackie
(42,862 posts)It's sickening.
FarPoint
(12,351 posts)and then had an emesis with tRump in the Oval Office...
getagrip_already
(14,736 posts)The intel briefings should include a lot of planted false info... knowing it will go directly to putin.
Besides, the guy can't remember to change his depends. He is never going to remember secrets beyond his next diet pepsi.
nature-lover
(1,469 posts)pwb
(11,261 posts)like all the privileged Trump clan. IMO.
C_U_L8R
(45,000 posts)FakeNoose
(32,634 posts)Kushner needs a huge amount of cash to keep afloat. Lots of loans coming due. What is he peddling right now?
Liberty Belle
(9,534 posts)Trump should be charged with espionage and sedition if he does this after leaving office, and should be sternly warned by the Biden administration of this consequence in hopes it may dissuade Trump from selling secrets to Russia or tattling to anyone else.
NurseJackie
(42,862 posts)PSPS
(13,593 posts)From 2017...
Oval office. Only russians allowed, including the russian photographer who snapped this picture. Domestic press excluded. No witnesses. No notes.
Trump revealed highly classified information to Russian foreign minister and ambassador
By Greg Miller and Greg Miller National security reporter
President Trump revealed highly classified information to the Russian foreign minister and ambassador in a White House meeting last week, according to current and former U.S. officials, who said Trumps disclosures jeopardized a critical source of intelligence on the Islamic State.
The information the president relayed had been provided by a U.S. partner through an intelligence-sharing arrangement considered so sensitive that details have been withheld from allies and tightly restricted even within the U.S. government, officials said.
The partner had not given the United States permission to share the material with Russia, and officials said Trumps decision to...
JDC
(10,127 posts)lame54
(35,287 posts)He has no choice