# Can a President declassify the document he’s got, but not copies of the same document other officials have? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [August 14, 2022, 11:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-a-president-declassify-the-document-he-s-got-but-not-copies-of-the-same-document-other-officials-have/969667 "2022-08-14T23:45:23Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 14\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![Ponderoid](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ponderoid/32/19221_2.png) [@Ponderoid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ponderoid)\ **Post date:** [August 16, 2022, 3:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-a-president-declassify-the-document-he-s-got-but-not-copies-of-the-same-document-other-officials-have/969667/41 "2022-08-16T15:15:21Z")
> [@RitterSport](#): > > Here’s a gift link: Thanks! ---
**Author:** ![Marvin\_the\_Martian](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/marvin_the_martian/32/2898_2.png) [@Marvin\_the\_Martian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Marvin_the_Martian)\ **Post date:** [August 16, 2022, 5:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-a-president-declassify-the-document-he-s-got-but-not-copies-of-the-same-document-other-officials-have/969667/42 "2022-08-16T17:25:06Z")
> [@md-2000](#): > > One item in the news is that Defense nuclear secrets are classified under a law passed by congress, and the DoD must actively sign off on the proper procedure to declassify it. So there is at least one category of secret that waving a presidential magic wand cannot simply declassify. Nitpick: The DoE (Department of Energy) classifies information regarding nuclear weapons and related material. DoE issues its own security clearances: > **[Q clearance](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Q_clearance)** > > Q clearance or Q access authorization is the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) security clearance required to access Top Secret Restricted Data, Formerly Restricted Data, and National Security Information, as well as Secret Restricted Data. Restricted Data (RD) is defined in the Atomic Energy Act of 1954 and covers nuclear weapons and related materials. The lower-level L clearance is sufficient for access to Secret Formerly Restricted Data (FRD) and National Security Information, as well as Confide... ---
**Author:** ![Exapno\_Mapcase](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/exapno_mapcase/32/1051_2.png) [@Exapno\_Mapcase](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Exapno_Mapcase)\ **Post date:** [August 16, 2022, 5:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-a-president-declassify-the-document-he-s-got-but-not-copies-of-the-same-document-other-officials-have/969667/43 "2022-08-16T17:50:52Z")
Oh, c’mon. You know you can’t believe anything Q says. ---
**Author:** ![Hari\_Seldon](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hari_seldon/32/5173_2.png) [@Hari\_Seldon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hari_Seldon)\ **Post date:** [August 16, 2022, 11:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-a-president-declassify-the-document-he-s-got-but-not-copies-of-the-same-document-other-officials-have/969667/44 "2022-08-16T23:14:44Z")
> [@md-2000](#): > > He said he wouldn’t, because being certified a dual citizen might mess up his fairly high US military security clearance. He was right. When my son graduated from college, he spoke to a recruiter from NSA who told him that if he would have to renounce his Canadian citizenship if he wanted to work at NSA. ---
**Author:** ![Tripler](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tripler/32/21807_2.png) [@Tripler](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tripler)\ **Post date:** [August 17, 2022, 4:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-a-president-declassify-the-document-he-s-got-but-not-copies-of-the-same-document-other-officials-have/969667/45 "2022-08-17T16:24:52Z")
I’ve become quite concerned to discuss my current position and background, on an open board, after an encounter with a certain troll that I strongly suspect was “data/fact mining” the SDMB for ‘purposes’. My EOD past, though, is an open book (and kinda fun). So, understand, I’m a little skittish on discussing anything ‘nuclear’ anymore. . . But. . . > [@Marvin\_the\_Martian](#): > > Nitpick: The DoE (Department of Energy) classifies information regarding nuclear weapons and related material. DoE issues its own security clearances: is a true statement. There are hoops we have to jump through when discussing DoE-owned information with the DOD. This includes making sure everything is marked properly, and the recipients have proper clearances and need-to-know access. Tripler TS/SCI left out “in the open”? That’s a jail cell waiting to be filled. . . ---
**Author:** ![md-2000](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/9d8465/32.png) [@md-2000](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/md-2000)\ **Post date:** [August 17, 2022, 9:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-a-president-declassify-the-document-he-s-got-but-not-copies-of-the-same-document-other-officials-have/969667/46 "2022-08-17T21:45:35Z")
> [@Exapno\_Mapcase](#): > > Oh, c’mon. You know you can’t believe anything Q says. But Q has the best gadgets - just ask James. ---
**Author:** ![Love\_Rhombus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/love_rhombus/32/10694_2.png) [@Love\_Rhombus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Love_Rhombus)\ **Post date:** [August 19, 2022, 10:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-a-president-declassify-the-document-he-s-got-but-not-copies-of-the-same-document-other-officials-have/969667/47 "2022-08-19T10:50:51Z")
I’m slightly surprised Trump’s DOE didn’t change the rules while he was in office. ---
**Author:** ![Crane](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/crane/32/3495_2.png) [@Crane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Crane)\ **Post date:** [August 19, 2022, 1:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-a-president-declassify-the-document-he-s-got-but-not-copies-of-the-same-document-other-officials-have/969667/48 "2022-08-19T13:13:35Z")
Back before the earth cooled, I was an Airman last class working in the Williams AFB education office. The proficiency exams for flight officers were classified secret and were kept in an old safe that looked like a stage prop from a western movie. I administered the exams and rubber stamped them where appropriate, but the last enclosure for the material was always a plain brown envelope. Classified material in transport (outside the safe) was never visibly labeled. News reports say that Trump had boxes labeled Secret or Top Secret. That alone seems to be a violation. ---
**Author:** ![Northern\_Piper](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/northern_piper/32/5304_2.png) [@Northern\_Piper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Northern_Piper)\ **Post date:** [August 19, 2022, 1:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-a-president-declassify-the-document-he-s-got-but-not-copies-of-the-same-document-other-officials-have/969667/49 "2022-08-19T13:20:52Z")
He obviously wanted to make it clear that he has the best kind of secrets! Quality secrets! No-one else has those kind of secrets! ---
**Author:** ![md-2000](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/9d8465/32.png) [@md-2000](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/md-2000)\ **Post date:** [August 19, 2022, 6:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-a-president-declassify-the-document-he-s-got-but-not-copies-of-the-same-document-other-officials-have/969667/50 "2022-08-19T18:24:14Z")
> [@Love\_Rhombus](#): > > I’m slightly surprised Trump’s DOE didn’t change the rules while he was in office. As I understand, that was a law not a regulation, so the DoE could not decide on their own to change the way classification worked. He’d need congress - both houses - to agree on that and pass a bill amending the law. ---
**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\ **Post date:** [August 20, 2022, 12:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-a-president-declassify-the-document-he-s-got-but-not-copies-of-the-same-document-other-officials-have/969667/51 "2022-08-20T00:06:19Z")
> [@Northern\_Piper](#): > > He obviously wanted to make it clear that he has the best kind of secrets! Quality secrets! No-one else has those kind of secrets! [Moderating] This is not the place for politicking. While some discussion of Trump is inevitable, that doesn’t mean mockery. ---
**Author:** ![Northern\_Piper](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/northern_piper/32/5304_2.png) [@Northern\_Piper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Northern_Piper)\ **Post date:** [August 20, 2022, 12:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-a-president-declassify-the-document-he-s-got-but-not-copies-of-the-same-document-other-officials-have/969667/52 "2022-08-20T00:08:51Z")
Oh right. We’re in FQ. Sorry. ---
**Author:** ![F.U.Shakespeare](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/aca169/32.png) [@F.U.Shakespeare](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/F.U.Shakespeare)\ **Post date:** [August 20, 2022, 1:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-a-president-declassify-the-document-he-s-got-but-not-copies-of-the-same-document-other-officials-have/969667/53 "2022-08-20T01:55:03Z")
> [@Crane](#): > > Classified material in transport (outside the safe) was never visibly labeled. News reports say that Trump had boxes labeled Secret or Top Secret. **That alone seems to be a violation.** I’m not sure about this. When I worked at the Agency that never existed, we were in general required to put abbreviated classifications on the outermost layer of wrapping when transporting classified. E.g., “TS” for “TOP SECRET”. I don’t know what the rules are for the particular documents found at Mar-a-Lago. I suspect that the labels may have been acceptable when the material was in a SCIF, but that changed when Trump left office and no longer had a SCIF. ---
**Author:** ![Monty](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/monty/32/47_2.png) [@Monty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Monty)\ **Post date:** [August 20, 2022, 3:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-a-president-declassify-the-document-he-s-got-but-not-copies-of-the-same-document-other-officials-have/969667/54 "2022-08-20T03:51:59Z")
> [@md-2000](#): > > More interesting, I pointed out to a relative that his mother had been a naturalized Canadian citizen well before he was born, so he should be able to apply for his Canadian citizenship certificate. Not apply for citizenship - by inheritance, he already _was_ Canadian. Just for the papers to prove it. He said he wouldn’t, because being certified a dual citizen might mess up his fairly high US military security clearance. The key word here is _might_. It depends a lot on how one got that dual nationality and, of course, if it’s even possible to renounce said nationality. ISTM many people are unaware of what’s involved with citizenship laws and nationality laws, especially those laws concerned with dual nationality. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-a-president-declassify-the-document-he-s-got-but-not-copies-of-the-same-document-other-officials-have/969667.md?page=2)