# Will Pres Hillary be able to discuss classified matters with Bill ? **URL:** \ **Category:** Politics & Elections\ **Created:** [August 11, 2016, 6:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/will-pres-hillary-be-able-to-discuss-classified-matters-with-bill/762422 "2016-08-11T06:36:13Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 10\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![friedo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/8edcca/32.png) [@friedo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/friedo)\ **Post date:** [August 12, 2016, 12:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/will-pres-hillary-be-able-to-discuss-classified-matters-with-bill/762422/21 "2016-08-12T00:44:40Z")
> [@alphaboi867](#): > > What about former presidents? Don’t they get come kind of regular national security briefings as a courtesy? Former presidents are sometimes consulted (quietly) when there is a crisis for which their experience may be useful. In that instance whoever the current president is decides what and how much to share with them. That may or may not include regular briefings on certain topics, but it’s always at the discretion of the current president, and of course only if the old guy feels like helping out. ---
**Author:** ![UltraVires](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/ecccb3/32.png) [@UltraVires](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/UltraVires)\ **Post date:** [August 12, 2016, 6:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/will-pres-hillary-be-able-to-discuss-classified-matters-with-bill/762422/22 "2016-08-12T18:21:39Z")
There should be a sticky for future threads: The President is the head of the executive branch. No regulation on what is classified material applies to the President. If Hillary wants to call ME up and tell me a bunch of classified information to solicit my advice, then that is her privilege by virtue of being the President. Any law attempting to restrict that would be an unconstitutional violation of separation of powers. ---
**Author:** ![Rillian](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/bcef8e/32.png) [@Rillian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rillian)\ **Post date:** [August 13, 2016, 6:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/will-pres-hillary-be-able-to-discuss-classified-matters-with-bill/762422/23 "2016-08-13T18:44:36Z")
Per this [NY Daily News](http://www.nydailynews.com/archives/news/ex-prez-club-bonds-rivals-article-1.783371) article: > [@](#): > > After Reagan beat Carter in 1980, Carter complained that Reagan refused to give him national security briefings, a courtesy routinely extended to other ex-Presidents So as of 1980, former presidents were receiving intelligence briefings? ---
**Author:** ![adaher](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/dec6dc/32.png) [@adaher](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/adaher)\ **Post date:** [August 15, 2016, 8:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/will-pres-hillary-be-able-to-discuss-classified-matters-with-bill/762422/24 "2016-08-15T08:11:16Z")
> [@UltraVires](#): > > There should be a sticky for future threads: The President is the head of the executive branch. No regulation on what is classified material applies to the President. If Hillary wants to call ME up and tell me a bunch of classified information to solicit my advice, then that is her privilege by virtue of being the President. Any law attempting to restrict that would be an unconstitutional violation of separation of powers. Correct, but if stuff was leaking and the source was someone without a security clearance who the President trusted, impeachment would likely follow. Presidents have to be very careful about this stuff. ---
**Author:** ![Gyrate](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gyrate/32/3588_2.png) [@Gyrate](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gyrate)\ **Post date:** [August 15, 2016, 11:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/will-pres-hillary-be-able-to-discuss-classified-matters-with-bill/762422/25 "2016-08-15T11:05:16Z")
Personally I’d be very surprised if many Presidents haven’t discussed sensitive policy issues with their spouses (or at least the shrewder spouses) from time to time when they needed a fresh perspective from someone who didn’t work for them. I don’t know if GWB ever talked things over with Laura Bush, for example, but Bill undoubtedly shared with Hillary. Nancy Reagan, Eleanor Roosevelt and Florence Harding, to pick some easy examples, were also notoriously involved with current political matters during their tenures as FLOTUS. It’s often controversial, but it’s not unexpected. As noted, of course, if the FLOTUS then leaked sensitive information elsewhere it’d be the President’s head that would roll, but that’s part of the job. ---
**Author:** ![Superdude](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/superdude/32/13450_2.png) [@Superdude](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Superdude)\ **Post date:** [August 16, 2016, 8:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/will-pres-hillary-be-able-to-discuss-classified-matters-with-bill/762422/26 "2016-08-16T08:18:28Z")
It wouldn’t surprise me to hear that Michelle Obama was consulted on a few issues by Barack. Nor would it surprise me to hear that she has told him that she didn’t want to be “in the know” on some of those issues, like taking out Osama bin Laden. ---
**Author:** ![rrwcm](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/13edae/32.png) [@rrwcm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/rrwcm)\ **Post date:** [August 18, 2016, 11:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/will-pres-hillary-be-able-to-discuss-classified-matters-with-bill/762422/27 "2016-08-18T23:10:28Z")
Laws do not apply to the Clintons! ---
**Author:** ![Morgenstern](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f9ae1b/32.png) [@Morgenstern](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Morgenstern)\ **Post date:** [August 18, 2016, 11:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/will-pres-hillary-be-able-to-discuss-classified-matters-with-bill/762422/28 "2016-08-18T23:16:54Z")
> [@rrwcm](#): > > Laws do not apply to the Clintons! Cite please. ---
**Author:** ![FoieGrasIsEvil](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/foiegrasisevil/32/16638_2.png) [@FoieGrasIsEvil](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FoieGrasIsEvil)\ **Post date:** [August 18, 2016, 11:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/will-pres-hillary-be-able-to-discuss-classified-matters-with-bill/762422/29 "2016-08-18T23:33:27Z")
> [@Morgenstern](#): > > Cite please. The FBI. ---
**Author:** ![CarnalK](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carnalk/32/486_2.png) [@CarnalK](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CarnalK)\ **Post date:** [August 18, 2016, 11:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/will-pres-hillary-be-able-to-discuss-classified-matters-with-bill/762422/30 "2016-08-18T23:49:22Z")
> [@adaher](#): > > Correct, but if stuff was leaking and the source was someone without a security clearance who the President trusted, impeachment would likely follow. Presidents have to be very careful about this stuff. Good point. Like Presidents are allowed to pardon people but if they started pardoning serial killers, impeachment would likely follow. So they have to be really careful. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/will-pres-hillary-be-able-to-discuss-classified-matters-with-bill/762422.md?page=1)