Patterico's Pontifications

11/15/2016

Trump Transition Team Now Admits Request For Trump Kids’ Security Clearances, Blames On “Low-Level Staffer”

Filed under: General — Patterico @ 8:25 pm



Let’s review the bidding, shall we? First CBS News reported yesterday, based on anonymous “sources,” that Trump had asked for security clearances for his kids. Then, an anonymous transition team official last night told reporters that the CBS News report was false, offering this bold and stirring denial: “That’s not something I’m expecting right now.”

Tonight, the Trump organization has spun on a dime, and now admits that security clearances were indeed requested for the Trump brood . . . but an anonymous “top aide” blames it on a low-level staffer:

The Trump transition team is saying that a low-level staffer requested security clearances for three of Donald Trump’s children, according to a top aide.

According to the aide, the request was made “without authorization” and the staffer, who is no longer with the team, “overstepped his boundaries.”

Sources say the request was not made by the president-elect.

I tend to agree with this assessment:

I will add that I am getting tired of all these stories being based on anonymous sources. There’s a lot of flippity floppity flopping going on and nobody is being named.

[Cross-posted at RedState.]

13 Responses to “Trump Transition Team Now Admits Request For Trump Kids’ Security Clearances, Blames On “Low-Level Staffer””

  1. And again, so what?

    Every advisor Trump has will have a TS clearance, just in case something comes up. That does NOT mean that they can go online at Top-Secret-Google and find out the nuclear launch codes.

    There was a time when I had a clearance for over a YEAR before I touched anything that required it. But it would have been real awkward if I hadn’t had the clearance because I could not have entered a facility where that information was kept — whether or not I had access to the safe where it was stored.

    I really don’t understand what the kerfluffle is. I mark it up to ignorance mostly.

    Kevin M (25bbee)

  2. Maybe it was Barron.

    Kishnevi (125429)

  3. Also, it is REALLY none of anyone’s business who has a clearance and at what level. First rule of clearance club.

    Kevin M (25bbee)

  4. Can’t agree, Kevin. I explained my reasoning in the previous post.

    Patterico (115b1f)

  5. I’m actually surprised they even admitted it happened. While it should definely be a cause for concern (for reasons articulated in your previous article), nobody seems to care about the truth so why bother admitting/correcting it. And for those who think it’s no big deal, the president elects refusal of vetting and information during the primary and campaign should have been a clue as to why this stuff is important. Don’t ever expect the truth or whole story, because you’ve already shown you don’t want to know. But like the democrats with Obama in previous years, as long as it’s your guy, they can lie and do whatever they want to advance their cause, as long as they have the correct party affiliation at the time.

    Moviemommy (06e612)

  6. And I read it and I don’t agree.

    You seem to think that granting Trump’s kids a clearance means that they can just paw through all that intelligence for business advantage and this only proves you have no experience with clearances or classified information.

    It’s like saying that anyone who passes the bar can read any attorney’s files that he wants.

    Kevin M (25bbee)

  7. The FBI investigates security clearances. I would like to see its recommendation that Jared Kushner be denied one on the basis that he consorts with a known criminal. His father. Convicted of making illegal campaign contribution, tax evasion and witness tampering.

    Which, BTW, is probably the real reason Christie was eased out. He’s the one who prosecuted Daddy Kushner.

    nk (dbc370)

  8. Did somebody say “gangster government”?

    nk (dbc370)

  9. @Kevin M:this only proves you have no experience with clearances or classified information.

    If only people who knew about something were allowed to comment on it, what kind of Internet would it be?

    Gabriel Hanna (4f5ff1)

  10. Not sure it’s understood how petty this is. Someone made a REQUEST. Probably asked a question whether it was necessary and/or possible. BFD.

    Now if it was that the request was denied, and were somehow granted anyway through nefarious means, then maybe ya got something. As as? Give me a fvcking break.

    LBascom (47d8f4)

  11. Greetings:

    But otherwise you’re happy with the way things are going ???

    11B40 (6abb5c)

  12. They did do it, seriously and formally, for Jared Kushner, who attended, or Trump wanted to him to attend, the president Daily briefs with him. For that maybe he actually would need a security clearance.

    Trump probably needs some people to interpret and tell him what he was told, and also to discuss it with, and also to fill in the blanks, and for that he needs people he trusts, so it makes sense.

    Trump probably also doesn’t want to show ignorance. Kushner is probably a bit more well read than he is. He is the publisher of the New York Observer. (Although it focuses on New York related politics and features, still it’s a weekly newspaper)

    Oh, he just killed the print edition.

    http://www.newsmax.com/US/jared-kushner-observer-ends-print/2016/11/14/id/758718/

    The one out now will be the last one. No layoffs, except for one editor and some freelancers.

    They are now going to ficus on the national audience.

    How’s that for a conflict of interest? Scoops. At least the possibility of some.

    Albeit, actually, he’s not that closely involved with the newspaper (now to be news without paper) and probably distanced himself further this year.

    They ran a story that could be deemed critical of Sean Hannity, and even of Donald Trump, in August:(it’s actually a media overview/gossip piece)

    http://observer.com/2016/08/with-trump-slumping-fox-sycophant-sean-hannity-gets-kicked-from-all-angles/

    Sammy Finkelman (db3b66)

  13. @Kevin. I understand there are millions of people who have security clearances.

    Which probably means they are worthless.

    But most people won’t do things that are wrong. If there are any who will, the security clearance process won’t catch them. How can it?

    Sammy Finkelman (db3b66)


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