Does the U.S. President get screened for a security clearance?

[Equinox Moon]

Truly. I don't think this guy could pass a high level security clearance.
Isn't part of a security clearance mental stability? Not to mention business enmeshment issues all over the world?

Maybe that is one way to prevent him from getting into the WH?

[madaboutharry]

1. No.

By virtue of being president a person sees the most classified material.

[RKP5637]

2. He seems to get a free pass on every F'en thing. If he were a democrat all hell would be

breaking loose. It's a total WTF!

[GP6971]

3. No

Maybe fingerprints but that's about it.

[yortsed snacilbuper]

4. colluding with putin should flunk him,

col·lude
kəˈlo͞od/
verb
gerund or present participle: colluding
come to a secret understanding for a harmful purpose; conspire.
"university leaders colluded in price-rigging"

[Equinox Moon]

5. I just found this on the Internet

The President has no security clearance, in the sense that other employees of the federal government do. Simply put, there is no document held by the United States government that the President is restricted from viewing for reasons of national security. It's also impossible for the President to violate a security classification; the President has the absolute authority to decide who is and is not entitled to know what is in a classified document, and may reveal any classified fact he or she deems appropriate to any person at any time for any reason (except possibly for a few narrow cases where specific statutes make such releases illegal).

There are documents that the President is not permitted to see (individual Census returns, for example) and information the President may know but legally cannot share, but these restrictions flow from statutory rules that are intended to protect personal privacy. Such documents are not considered "classified" for the purpose of national security law.

By Kelly Martin
(A Quora Post)

[Ilsa]

6. IOW, he can compartmentalize classified information

to prevent anyone who might be suspicious of him from learning about what he and putin are up to.

[treestar]

22. Maybe he will violate one of those statutes

and reveal something that he is not legally authorized to share.

[Angleae]

23. The president is the final authority to determine who is legally authorized to share/view.

He can decide if a document if a document is or is not classified or if someone is or is not able to share or view such information and has the final say in such matters. There are no documents that he is not legally authorized to share.

[treestar]

24. I was thinking of this language in post 5

There are documents that the President is not permitted to see (individual Census returns, for example) and information the President may know but legally cannot share, but these restrictions flow from statutory rules that are intended to protect personal privacy.

Just the kind of thing the Orange Idiot would ignore.

[jmowreader]

7. His financial problems ALONE would keep him from being cleared

Mental problems are part of it, sure, but they only worry about it if you ever sought psychiatric treatment on your own or got committed involuntarily. I had a "TK" clearance (which is so secret even the two words "T" and "K" stand for are classified) and they never sent me in for a psych eval. I believe the holders of serious clearances like Yankee White (which all presidential aides hold) have to fill out a questionnaire.

If I was Special Security Officer at the White House and Trump was the president, I would rule that no one in Trump's entourage gets anything that isn't in the press unless there was a national emergency like an invasion or a hurricane. He runs his mouth too much. He owes too much money to foreign nationals. He has a close and continuing relationship with some relatively unsavory characters. And his tendency to tweet insults over perceived slights could wind up putting TS data on Twitter.

[malthaussen]

13. "T-K" aren't clasified words anymore.

The images produced are, though some older ones have been declassified. (I've seen several in history books)

-- Mal

[SickOfTheOnePct]

16. I currently hold a TS clearance

with 5 caveats, and the questionnaire (SF86) is extensive...more than 30 pages...these questionnaires are what were stolen when OPM was hacked.

I was subject to a psych evaluation prior to my clearance being granted, and have to self-report any psychological/psychiatric issues for which I seek advice and/or treatment. I'm also subject to polygraph every five years.

[Auntie Bush]

8. Can he see other peoples tax returns.

Damn, I wish someone would publish his tax returns. The nation needs to know what his business interests are...especially since we know he's a genuine crook.

[MineralMan]

15. I don't believe so. There are laws restricting

distribution of those.

[braddy]

9. No, there is no clerk somewhere who can deny the presidential election, and in fact the

president is the highest authority on security clearances as head of the Executive branch of the government.

[jberryhill]

10. No

This was a big one with birthers - "because Obama is foreign born, he shouldn't get high clearance."

That is, of course, bullshit. It is inherent in the office of President.

Likewise, the president may disclose it, declassify it, or tweet it at will.

Classified information is collected and generated for the President to use. The notion that some regulation or other member of the executive branch can withhold information from the president is kinda strange.

[sarcasmo]

11. Trump couldn't pass a vetting process,let alone a high level clearance.

[doc03]

12. Apparently not or that stupid SOB wouldn't

be president.

[MineralMan]

14. No. Not really. As President, he is in charge of all of those

intelligence agencies. There is nobody who can deny him a clearance. The President is the top guy. However, agencies do exercise some discretion in briefing Presidents. What they see is a brief summary of overall analysis of things, most of the time. There's lots of leeway in that, and I believe it is used to control just how much the President knows.

How do I know this? I was working in the NSA building when newly-elected President Nixon paid a visit to that facility to be briefed on NSA operation and to observe an exercise. I remember the preparations for that very well.

[dumbcat]

18. I was a little after you

I was down in the basement (with the Crays) in '76.

[MineralMan]

20. Yes. I was there in late 1968 through part of 1969.

I worked upstairs, though, and used language skills I got through the courtesy of the USAF.

[Hekate]

17. Yes. It's called a "national election" and a "free press." Apparently enough voters cleared him, ...

...plus half the voters stayed home, and the press gave him all the unedited airtime he wanted.

[Lurks Often]

19. Trump is going to be sworn in on January 20th. Period

And to answer your question, no the President is not screened for a security clearance or background check.

There is NO mechanism, law or anything else that will prevent Trump from being sworn in on January 20th. A meteor strike, comet strike or a nuclear war are not the alternatives we want.

[onecent]

21. He won't be asked AGAIN to turn in an IRS ....so how do we know HOW MUCH MONEY HE TAKES FROM THE

WHITE HOUSE TO BUILD up things like Margolo....or whatever it is

I could skam a bunch of money and tuck it in Russia...NONE OF US would be the wiser.