2 Jun 2023 7:36 am
The US Constitution, by making the President Commander in Chief, gives the President authority to declassify anything he damn well pleases (and to classify anything he wants classified). Others in the government have a process that must be followed. While most President follow that procedure as well, they ARE NOT REQUIRED to do so. If you remember, early in his term Trump mentioned something that was classified to a foreign visitor in the Oval. There was a "big hubub" on CNNLOL and MSNBS until one of their experts pointed out Trump had the authority to declassify and when he shared the information it made it no longer classified.Prospero » 01 Jun 2023, 10:57 pm » wrote: ↑ Question: Does the Presidential Records Act authorize the president to declassify documents at will, without a formal process, even by the President 'thinking it' (as Trump claimed)?
Answer: No, the Presidential Records Act (PRA) does not authorize the president to declassify documents at will or by simply thinking it. The PRA is a federal law that governs the management and preservation of presidential records generated during a president's time in office. It establishes that presidential records are the property of the United States government and should be preserved and made available to the public after a certain period.
Declassification of documents, on the other hand, falls under the authority of executive orders and other statutes specifically related to classification and declassification. The president does have the authority to declassify certain documents, but this power is typically exercised through established processes and procedures. The specific procedures for declassifying documents can vary depending on the nature of the information, the agencies involved, and the applicable executive orders or statutes.
It is important to note that even though the president has the authority to declassify documents, this authority is not unlimited. There are still considerations of national security, ongoing investigations, and other factors that may restrict or limit the declassification of certain information.
Trump is in trouble for violating the Presidential Records Act (which was also violated by Obama, Carter, Clinton, Biden and Pence). Oddly enough, only one appears to be facing jail time. I wonder why? (not really).