Guilty verdict will likely not affect plans for intel briefings for Trump

[riversedge]

Source: nbc news




When he becomes the Republican nominee, he will still be briefed, despite his conviction in the hush money case and despite facing a trial on charges of mishandling classified info.




May 31, 2024, 10:00 AM CDT By Dan De Luce


..................The intelligence briefings for presidential nominees are not mandated by law but are a custom dating back to 1952, designed to ensure a smooth transition of power and to prepare a prospective commander in chief for office. The presidential nominees do not require a security clearance to receive the briefings and a felony conviction against a nominee would not prevent the briefings from proceeding.


Larry Pfeiffer, a former chief of staff at the CIA and now the director of the Hayden Center for Intelligence at George Mason University, said the intelligence briefings typically provide information that is not top secret but at a lower level of classification. The briefings “would very likely not include information about sources or methods” behind the intelligence, he said.

“The fact that Trump has now been convicted of fraud sadly provides further evidence that the former president holds the concept of trust in very low regard. Trust is fundamentally what makes our system of protecting secrets work,” Pfeiffer told NBC News..........................................



During his time at the White House, Trump was accused of revealing secret information during a conversation with Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov and when he tweeted an image of an Iranian satellite launch. After he left office, he was indicted on federal criminal charges of allegedly retaining a trove of classified documents at his Mar-a-Lago estate in Florida.

Read more: https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/national-security/guilty-verdict-will-likely-not-affect-plans-intel-briefings-trump-rcna154876

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Link to tweet

[Karadeniz]

1. But while hes been indicted for harboring classified documents and espionage,

He should not be entitled to intelligence briefings.

[InstantGratification]

24. "should not be"

Agree fully with that statement. Unfortunately, our system does not account for the possibility that the guy at the top might be compromised by a foreign intel service or some other factor that would disqualify everyone else. The few checks that are built into that system assume that the other players who are charged with protecting us against that are going to act in the best interests of the country instead of their own or their party's interests.

That is a gaping hole that Putin and his minions are going to use to paralyze us on the international stage by forcing us to expend all of our energy and resources domestically.

[ancianita]

36. They absolutely know that the guy at the top is way more than compromised; he has sold intel and will again.

This "custom" must stop or the "intelligence community" doesn't deserve the name because it isn't one.

[InstantGratification]

38. I'm sorry, I wasn't clear enough what I was speaking about

Yes, the intel community can deal with this for as long as he is a candidate if they wish, if he wins, they have a very limited ability to deny him access if he demands to be shown something. I meant our system of government isn't ready for a guy like Trump combined with his enablers. Yes it has ways to remove a corrupt leader, such as impeachments. When that leader brings a train load of corrupt sycophants and pollutes all of the positions around him that should be a check on his corruption, our system fails. Look at the supreme court, look at R politicians defending a convicted felon, look at project 2025. Our founders never anticipated a concerted attack on the pillars of our government from within, by the very people occupying those pillars of power

I agree with your sentiment as it applies to a deeply compromised candidate being given access to state secrets. Keep him in the dark about the most important things for as long as we can, with the hope that he loses. He doesn't ingest the intel anyway except as a chip he can brag about to his followers domestically or barter to curry favor abroad. Feed him false or misleading information and see if that makes it's way to America's adversaries. It is known as a "canary trap". If you suspect a leaker, each suspected leaker gets a slightly different version of the info. That helps the counter intel types to track down which "canary is singing".

How delicious would it be to catch him in a sting operation leaking highly sensitive information that was given to him and only to him?

[ancianita]

41. I hear you. But since intel to candidates is "custom," they can just skip the custom now for good legal reasons.

Last edited Sat Jun 1, 2024, 04:10 PM - Edit history (1)

A setup for a sting operation works for me. I like the way you think.

[Evolve Dammit]

50. An error on the Founders drafting. Missed that one. Was probably unfathomable until Cheetolini. nt

[Rhiannon12866]

31. Yikes! Good Grief! He's already jeopardized our national security and that of our allies - no second chances!!!

He's already facing a criminal trial for doing just that!

[Groundhawg]

55. When did he get charged with espionage?

[Karadeniz]

60. One of his charges falls under the espionage act...wish i could be more specific,

but those charges have been tied up so long under the ever creative Loose Cannon, it's a blur now. All I can remember is that one charge was covered under the espionage act and I thought Jack Smith was darned clever to make sure that the severity of Trump's actions was reflected in a charge.

[Groundhawg]

61. I Can't find where he is charged with espionage.

[Karadeniz]

62. 31 criminal charges for unlawfully keeping documents about national defense.

Max sentence: 10 years.

[Groundhawg]

63. I know he did bad things

But specifically I'm trying to verify the claim for being charged with espionage. Those aren't the same.

[Karadeniz]

65. "Under the espionage act." He showed some document at bedminster that

He said it was top secret and he shouldn't be showing it. He gave a female aide at mar a stack of pages to go into a computer file. She said there were top secret documents mixed in. One aide, like Nauta, took photos of documents on his phone. I don't know exactly which charges fall under the espionage act.

[cstanleytech]

2. Intelligence briefings should cease after a year as the new President should be up to date by then.

[Harker]

3. Perhaps he'll nod off. n/t

[SalamanderSleeps]

4. "a custom dating back to 1952"

So, if it were "customary" to drown 77 year old men that soil themselves constantly we'd just have to keep doing that too?

[Doodley]

5. Assume that any useful intel will be passed straight on to Putin.

[peppertree]

29. But he's a Republican - so the Intel community would be ok with it

(prove me wrong, people)

[Scalded Nun]

6. He is a convicted felon. He should no longer possess any security clearance

This is absolute bullshit. Biden can direct that his security clearance be pulled. This treasonous piece of shit insurrectionist motherfucker should not even be allowed near a secret sauce recipe.

[sir pball]

14. The President doesn't actually have a clearance. The job is all the authorization they need.

Presidents don't go through any of the processes to receive a formal clearance and they never receive one; the theory is that since almost all classification is done by the order of the President, not by law (except for some nuclear weapons stuff), the sitting President has absolute authority to deal with classified material as they see fit.

It's also why it's relatively easy to deny former office holders their "courtesy clearance*", the current guy just has to stop sending the briefs.

* - ex-Presidents generally have access to the briefings and other hush hush stuff, so they can more effectively give advice and counsel to the current Executive, but AFAIK it's just a perk extended by the former folx.

[PSPS]

23. Yes, and he can, and did, override the rejections that his relatives received.

[C Moon]

7. They should put a piece of fake info in...

and if Putin etc end up with it, they'll know the source: the Traitornator.

[NYC Liberal]

20. I wonder how much they withheld when he was in office

[erronis]

21. I'm sure that was done at some point early in tfg's occupancy.

But the traitor obviously passed TS/above info to the US enemies since many of our assets went dark soon after he defiled the office.

[OAITW r.2.0]

56. Absolutely. Feed Trump BS, but plausible intel and see if Putin reacts.

[keithbvadu2]

8. So Vlad still has an open pipeline of intel.

[Bayard]

9. trump pulled John Brennan's security clearance out of spite

Convicted felons should not get security briefings, especially when they steal Top Secret documents.

[ancianita]

46. Yes. And Brennan fought back.

[sop]

10. In 2020 Trump did everything he could to obstruct and delay President-elect Biden's transition to the WH.

Now Trump wants top secret intel briefings. I say delay, delay, delay.

[hadEnuf]

11. So if it's a "custom" and not a law, then don't frigging allow it.

It's not "customary" for POTUS candidates to be convicted felons awaiting sentencing and to be under investigation for the stealing of top-secret documents and espionage, either.

Why would we want to endanger the country further by allowing this? Again, the man is now a convicted felon.

This isn't a childish political game anymore.

[Turbineguy]

12. That way he doesn't have to wait to sell national secrets.

[RainCaster]

13. Dumb his briefing down to one page per day, like they used to do

But this time, do not include any raw documents, because they will be immediately exported to Arabia, Russia and NK.

[Enter stage left]

25. And do it in crayon!

[ScratchCat]

15. Nonsense

They quoted nobody of authority from the Biden administration. It would be unlawful to share classified data with a felon and there would be no justification to do so here. It's just going to have to be a accepted that Trump has been disqualified from being President and Biden needs to lead here. It's time for the media to end this as well.

[PortTack]

28. Agree...didn't President Biden rescind the now convicted felon security briefings a few months into 2021?

[Javaman]

16. fine. make them so detailed and complex he will not read them. nt

[paleotn]

17. Despite the fact he'll try to monetize everything he hears. You forgot that one, NBC.

[Firestorm49]

18. SHIT! I wouldn't want him anywhere near classified documents.

[turbinetree]

19. Maybe they can pat him down and make sure he has no recording devices on him..............

after all if it was you and I that had boxes of "classified" documents in our bathroom, under our bed, and showing them off to people and saying lookie here see what I got in my hand............I / we would be in jail.............do not pass go and I would not get another spin with the dice..................JFC.............stop the madness............seriously.......he might be in jail.....

[Talitha]

22. It's also customary for a president to release their tax forms.

He didn't, so fuckim.

[Irish_Dem]

26. Convicted felon who also stole classified documents gets more classified information.

Is there anyone who cares about this country's national security.

[gab13by13]

27. Intel between TSF and Putin?

[oasis]

30. I doubt they'll let him in on

any information of value.

[mahina]

32. They'll probably give him a bunch of garbage to feed to Pooty

[EndlessWire]

33. Can't see this scenario happening.

At any rate, they should just refuse to brief him. They shouldn't find anyone willing to brief him. What's he gonna do about it?

They should schedule his briefings on the days he has to visit his probation officer.

But, I think Biden will just rescind his privileges. The whole thing is ridiculous.

[mahina]

34. Agreed, it really is absurd

[ancianita]

35. That right there is a "custom" that should stop given the People of the United States v Trump documents case. Just stop.

Or the "intelligence community" doesn't deserve to be called that.

[benfranklin1776]

37. Agreed 💯

To do this would be akin to giving Jeffrey Dahmer custody of minor children. In other words the depth of insanity. This is a “custom” based on the assumption the recipient is not a Russian asset who has already compromised the national security of the United States and who openly boasts of his plans to destroy our democracy. Under no circumstance should Benedict Donald be granted access to any information except perhaps updates on the maximum security procedures for handling dangerous inmates at Leavenworth or Sing Sing which would be far more relevant to his future duties.

[gembaby1]

39. Oh yes, let's give the criminal access to intelligence briefings...🤬

[RexLipton]

40. We never seem to learn.

[Owens]

42. Are you kidding me??!!??

He stole classified documents!!! And most likely sold them!!

This is dangerous and now that the President has total immunity, he should stop this madness.

Let's not forget he refused to do a peaceful transfer!! JFC!

https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/2020-election/trump-appointee-slow-walks-biden-transition-could-delay-president-elect-n1247152

https://www.pbs.org/video/president-trump-obstructs-peaceful-transfer-power-oq3bea/

[iluvtennis]

43. It disgusts me that someone who stole classified documents critical to our national security

will be allowed to get intelligence briefs. Our laws really need to change to prevent this.

Presidential nominees need to be subjected to the same investigations & background checks that others are subjected to for obtaining a security clearance ( I went through the process for being in USAF as well as for working as a military defense contractor).

With simply the financial background checks that are done, TSF would have never been granted a security clearance. He got his security clearance by default of winning the presidency.

[DownriverDem]

44. Disgusting &

dangerous. I'm so sick of him and the every day he's in the news foisted on us.

[Sneederbunk]

45. He can hustle the intel to pay his legal fees.

[orangecrush]

47. Feed him a mix of truth and bullshit

But make the bullshit irresistible to Putin.

[twodogsbarking]

49. It is stupid but we always do it. Makes sense.

[duckworth969]

51. That's absurd

Convicted felon gets US Intel briefings…

Up is down, down is up.

[Wuddles440]

52. It's also "customary"...

to concede elections that you lose and especially so for the Presidency! For someone who has never respected the Constitution and disgraced the Office of the President, his traitorous POS is given entirely too much deference and consideration. By granting him access to classified information they might as well just forward it directly to Putin and cut out the middle man.

[Evolve Dammit]

53. Very, very, very bad idea. I don't care about precedent. These are uncharted waters and a coup-maker again.

[Evolve Dammit]

54. Seems we have no "guardrails" to stop this insanity.

[dai13sy]

57. Ridiculous

The most corrupt person to ever sit in the oval office will be given classified information at briefing belonging only to presidential candidates and as a felon why is he still running. The man is a dirty as they come - he and his fellow felons. I've never hated the Republican party like I do now and they've reduced themselves to the most corrupt party ever.

[keithbvadu2]

58. Putin keeps his intel supply pipeline flowing.

[LudwigPastorius]

59. Excuse me, but that is insane.

Tradition be damned.

This criminal insurrectionist has no business getting within sniffing distance of classified information ever again.

[prodigitalson]

64. if there is no law requiring this there is no reason to do it

and plenty of reasons not to

[Cha]

66. MAKES NO SENSE.