President Obama gets to decide what’s included in Donald Trump’s daily security briefings

[Her Sister]

http://www.dailynewsbin.com/opinion/president-obama-gets-to-decide-whats-included-in-donald-trumps-security-briefings/24692/

Now that Donald Trump is all but assured of becoming the 2016 Republican Party nominee for President, a sudden troubling realization has hit the nation: as per tradition, he’ll be given daily national security briefings during the course of the general election so that he can conduct his campaign accordingly. But with Trump being such a loose cannon and seemingly so likely to leak classified information just because he can’t help himself, the question has been posed of just who decides what’s included in Trump’s daily briefings. As it turns out, it’s up to his old nemesis President Obama.

During a general election, the sitting President makes the decisions to what the two final candidates to replace him do or don’t get to know when it comes to national security developments. The President has to give the share the same knowledge with both candidates, meaning that Donald Trump’s daily briefing will be identical to Hillary Clinton’s daily briefing, as pointed out by MSNBC’s Lawrence O’Donnell this evening. But this means that President Obama can hold back any particularly sensitive information from both candidates that he reasonably believes would be too harmful if Trump leaked it.

Although President Obama is too earnest to play any games with this power, and will certainly decide to give Clinton and Trump whatever information he thinks is appropriate and safe, it does put Obama in a rather poetic position. Trump built his political reputation by spending years harassing Obama about his birth certificate and making the claim that he was born in Kenya, laying the groundwork for his current racist platform. But now it’s President Obama who gets to dictate what Trump does or doesn’t get to know each day.

And that alone has to infuriate Donald Trump, who seemingly got into the 2016 race as an excuse to harangue President Obama as much as anything else. That’s far from the only embarrassing moment that Trump is facing in the two days since he effectively locked up the nomination. He’s also being snubbed by two republican Presidents.

[Cha]

1. Well that's encouraging!

Mahalo, HS!

[Her Sister]

2. Still scary that this PoS gets important information at all

So disgusted with Trump!

[Cha]

4. Yeah, that's what I thought when I read he'd be getting that information the other day

but, like the article said.. poetic justice that President Obama decids what he gets to see.. I bet if he could he would let Hillary see more.

What's loser loose mouth cannon trump going to do with info like that? The teabaggers have nominated a clown.

[gwheezie]

3. Obama fuck with him

Let them give trump fake briefings on aliens from a galaxy far, far away and his buddy Putin is a lizard hybrid that can't be killed so we're working on a top secret weapon.

[Lil Missy]

16. Obama sez - Make me a sandwich, Donald.

[yallerdawg]

5. Daily updates on...

"the moon landing, Roswell, and Tupac and Biggie?"

[JustAnotherGen]

6. Thank Heavens!

I'd prefer to not have him playing kissy face with his Russian Oligarch buddies while President Obama, Joe Biden and John Kerry have their jobs - thank you very much!


On the not so nice an 'adult' side - I'd love it if those three engaged in some good natured ribbing and hazing type behavior with Trump. I don't know that Obama or Kerry have it in them - but I betcha my favoritist of most ALL times Joey does! He's filled with snark and good humor!

[sufrommich]

7. That's a relief. nt

[Koinos]

8. Maybe Obama could give Trump a "lite" or superficial version of what is going on.

Even if Obama has to approve the same briefings for both candidates, Clinton -- given her experience -- might have less need for detailed information until after she is elected.

[George II]

9. That's funny.

[KittyWampus]

10. I suspect as an ex-Secretary of State Clinton must have her own access to information

coming from a different channel.

[CincyDem]

11. Is there a legal obligation here or it simply tradition ?

IF it's not a legal obligation, skip it. HRC doesn't need it and Trump doesn't deserve it. My guess is the only requirement is that both candidates be treated the same. So treat them the same - with silence.

[BlueMTexpat]

12. I hope that Prez O doesn't have to give Drumpf a

thing until after the GOP Convention when his status as a nominee is official, not merely presumptive.

Trump is a national security disaster waiting to happen. Cruz would have been too.

[Firebrand Gary]

13. I will sleep better tonight!

Thank god for President Obama and thank you Her Sister!

[Her Sister]

15. Sleep tight! lol!

and enjoy the weekend!

Yes it's good to know that there is a buffer! and who better than our smart brilliant sane President!!!!

[Hayduke Bomgarte]

14. If I were deciding what's to be included in drumpfs

Daily security briefings, he'd receive material no more sensitive than coloring books, (ages 6-10) and connect the dots puzzles.

[Lucinda]

17. That is good to hear!

[jmowreader]

18. If I was creating the daily security briefings...

I would use nothing but what intelligence types call "open-source collateral." If it's not on the AP or CNN (both of which, incidentally, are used a LOT in the intel community - we just preface it with "according to open-source information...&quot Trump can't be trusted with it.

The big problem is, if the sorry SOB actually gets elected, we won't be able to trust him with classified information then either.