As a convicted felon, Donald Trump can’t: 1) own a firearm; 2) vote for himself (or anybody else); 3) obtain a security clearance. That is, to be clear, private citizen Trump can’t do those things. Not even a minimum security clearance. But if he’s elected president then he automatically gets a Top Secret clearance. So you see the conundrum. The law reads that a person like him can’t be entrusted with any security clearance, or a firearm, but being President of the United States, he’s entrusted with the nuclear arsenal and unlimited access to all intelligence.
And you’ve already heard about how he’s banned from 37 countries, including places like Ireland and Scotland where he actually owns properties. Being banned from a country is certainly a hindrance to diplomacy, I’m sure you’ll agree, so what happens if he gets elected? People in foreign lands are supposed to change their laws in order to allow him a state visit? I suppose as a matter of sheer practicality that if Trump got elected and wanted to visit the UK that King Charles could make that happen. It just is one more weirdness to contemplate. Back to the security clearance. Huffington Post:
A person needing access to diplomatic or military secrets must undergo a rigorous background investigation into personal finances and behavior that can take upwards of a year to complete. Unless that person is elected president, in which case all of that screening goes right out the window.
The will of a majority of the voters overrules whatever objections intelligence community professionals might have, and a president has lawful access to every classified, secret or top-secret piece of information the nation possesses.
This would be true even for Trump, who is currently being prosecuted for his refusal to turn over secret documents he took with him to his South Florida country club after leaving the White House. Among the charges against him are alleged violations of the Espionage Act.
“If he’s president, he’s got full on access to whatever he wants,” said Ty Cobb, a lawyer who worked in Trump’s White House. “There’s no legal way to prevent it.”
Indeed, of the nine factors that the U.S. government says are evaluated during a security clearance investigation — drug involvement, criminal conduct, financial considerations, use of information technology systems, United States allegiance, foreign influence, alcohol consumption, psychological conditions and personal behavior and handling protected information — Trump would likely have problems with five of them, a majority.
The United States already underwent a version of this in 2016. Trump had had multiple bankruptcies, had done business with Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corp in a hotel deal in Azerbaijan, and had been pursuing a high-rise project in Moscow right through the presidential campaign.
“He would have had a tough time getting a security clearance in 2016. Between his checkered financial history, his infamous ‘Russia, if you’re listening’ comment, [and] his associates’ dubious foreign connections, such as his campaign manager Paul Manafort passing information to Konstantin Kilimnik,” said Norm Eisen, a former White House lawyer. Eisen held a security clearance both for that job and when he served as ambassador to the Czech Republic, both under President Barack Obama.
Trump’s lack of interest in abiding by operational security standards became clear within four months of his taking office. On May 10, 2017, in a meeting with the Russian foreign minister and ambassador, Trump boasted about U.S. intelligence capabilities — and in the process revealed that Israel had sources within the Islamic State terror group.
We should be mindful of all that we’ve already seen from Trump and his family. Jared Kushner couldn’t get a security clearance but Daddy got one for him anyhow, because he was “My Star.” That was Trump’s nickname for Kushner.
Things are not going to get any better if Trump gets back into office. Whatever his problems in 2016, nowadays he’s got even more ties to foreign money, legendary financial difficulties, and he’s still a criminal defendant in three suits in three different jurisdictions. He’s a walking security disaster by any normal metric of how these things are evaluated. Yet if he gets elected, POOF! So much of it, if not all of it, goes away.
It is not hyperbole or cliche to say that this election is the most important election of our lives. We managed to get him out of the White House in 2020. Now, hopefully, MAGA can be broken in 2024. You would think that the people most devoted to that task would be the Republicans. Not at all. They’ve fully adopted MAGA and they’re just fine if Trump gets back in and our democracy becomes an autocracy. Just fine.
There are a few voices of reason in the GOP saying that the party needs to replace him on the ticket and cut its losses. They are being drowned out.
However, it’s going to be a long six weeks from now until the sentencing of Trump on July 11 and then the Republican Convention a few days later. Questions like this one are coming up. What is the logic of having a man, a convicted felon, who couldn’t get any security clearance in the real world, be able to leap frog over all our protections and preside over our state secrets? It makes no sense.
The only thing that makes sense is either: 1. The Republicans come to their senses like they should have in 2016 after the Access Hollywood tape (and after the first impeachment and after the second impeachment) or 2. The electorate has to save itself from both a deranged candidate and a broken, venal, craven and corrupt GOP. It is as black and white as that.
“The electorate has to save itself from both a deranged candidate and a broken, venal, craven and corrupt GOP. It is as black and white as that.”
Get out and vote so that Don Don does not become POTUS again, and isn’t given the keys to the Whitehouse and all that goes with it. You know his about his mobster parasitic grifting. Also, not voting can possibly be seen as a silence of agreement for Don Don as POTUS again. That is:
First image : Not voting is number one cause of unwanted presidents.
“I suppose as a matter of sheer practicality that if Trump got elected and wanted to visit the UK that King Charles could make that happen.”
I get the sentiment of the sentence but, practically speaking, not so much. The monarch of the UK is a largely symbolic job, subject to plenty of rules that can’t just be waived (things are much looser today than they used to be but the rules of succession to the throne, and not all that long ago, would’ve prevented Charles from even being the current King). The Prime Minister and Parliament determine who can and cannot enter the UK; in the event of Trump’s return to the Presidency, whoever the PM is would determine, probably through a Parliamentary vote, regardless of the monarch’s wishes (the monarch’s wishes might be given some consideration either way; however, if Parliament voted to allow Trump entry and Charles was against it, then there’s nothing that would require him to meet with Trump).
I hope the courtesy of classified briefings has been denied Von Shitzinpants so far. I know typically the prez candidate not in the w.h. is briefed (but not required), I just hope President Biden is not allowing such a thing to happen. Von Shitzi has done quite enough damage in that department.
37 countries not allowing entry to the felon–that’s a ballsy move on their part especially given his instability/dementia. He could, I suppose, order attacks (unlikely) but he could withhold aid/support. And yes, I know congress in in charge of the purse but we’ve seen the s.c. ignore everything they do not like in the constitution so I expect them ignoring that one would be a given. We really need to get rid of six of those corrupt fools in any and every way possible. At the ballot box would be preferable but if that doesn’t work we might be forced to consider other ways of protecting our country from their evil.
“Indeed, of the nine factors that the U.S. government says are evaluated during a security clearance investigation — drug involvement, criminal conduct, financial considerations, use of information technology systems, United States allegiance, foreign influence, alcohol consumption, psychological conditions and personal behavior and handling protected information — Regurgitated Traitor would likely have problems with five of them, a majority.”
We can take out alcohol consumption, but I count EIGHT!!!!