Can you keep a secret?

FfNJGTFO · #1 11-14-2016, 10:57 PM

Apparently, Pres. Elect Trump thinks his children can. Just saw a couple of tweets which seem to indicate that he is seeking "Top Secret" security clearances for his children (I assume Don Jr, Eric & Ivanka).

Why he would do this truly escapes me, unless he plans to bring one or more of them onto the WH staff. I can't for the life of me figure what "need to know" any of them might have, otherwise. I thought he was going to leave them in charge of the Trump organization... No "need to know" there, I would think...

sdmc530 · #2 11-14-2016, 11:33 PM

Seems unnecessary.

DrHenley · #3 11-14-2016, 11:50 PM

Maybe he just wants to be able to talk about work with them.

FfNJGTFO · #4 11-15-2016, 12:43 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by DrHenley

Maybe he just wants to be able to talk about work with them.

That's a pretty weak "Need to know..." And I'd think most of that level of stuff would need to be discussed in a SCIF and not over a unsecure phone, etc.

Riverpigusmc · #5 11-15-2016, 06:02 AM

Perhaps they want to keep in touch with Hillary via email

FfNJGTFO · #6 11-15-2016, 08:51 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by FfNJGTFO

Apparently, Pres. Elect Trump thinks his children can. Just saw a couple of tweets which seem to indicate that he is seeking "Top Secret" security clearances for his children (I assume Don Jr, Eric & Ivanka).

Why he would do this truly escapes me, unless he plans to bring one or more of them onto the WH staff. I can't for the life of me figure what "need to know" any of them might have, otherwise. I thought he was going to leave them in charge of the Trump organization... No "need to know" there, I would think...

Update: Kelly Ann Conway was on Fox & Friends this morning saying that she was not aware of any formal request. She speculated that it may have just been an "inquiry" that was leaked by opponents of Trump as a "formal request" in order to embarrass him and make him look "incompetent." I fear this is what we'll be in for over the next 4+ years.

AFJuvat · #7 11-15-2016, 09:14 AM

I always assumed the presidential family got a security clearance. By virtue of them living in the WH and being in close proximity to the president, they cannot help but overhear or inadvertently see something.

Hell, the civilians that worked on the base child care center needed a SECRET clearance due to units deploying and possible duration.

FfNJGTFO · #8 11-15-2016, 09:44 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by AFJuvat

I always assumed the presidential family got a security clearance. By virtue of them living in the WH and being in close proximity to the president, they cannot help but overhear or inadvertently see something.

Hell, the civilians that worked on the base child care center needed a SECRET clearance due to units deploying and possible duration.

They would get a "Yankee White" SAP clearance, right (for being in the WH)? But wouldn't that apply only to those living in the WH? I'd imagine that Barron would be the only child living in the WH if that.

DrHenley · #9 11-15-2016, 11:39 AM

Trump might not even live in the White House...if the stories on the Interweb are to be believed...

FfNJGTFO · #10 11-15-2016, 01:52 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by DrHenley

Trump might not even live in the White House...if the stories on the Interweb are to be believed...

He'll have to consider that very carefully, for a number of reasons. First, unless he wants to relocate the entire West Wing to his Trump Tower in NYC, create a new Oval Office, a new "Sit Room" (or a SCIF somewhere in the tower), totally harden Trump Tower to Secret Service Standards (to which I think the other residents/tennants in TT would strongly oppose), etc. etc. etc., Maybe they can do strongly secured and encrypted video conferencing and still use the real Sit room, but....

Second... they'd have to fire a whole bunch of White House staff (cooks, care takers, etc. etc.). Why keep them employed doing nothing for 4+ years? Somehow, I think that would be quite "Politically Incorrect" a decision to make, especially when he's supposed to be all about putting more people back to work.

I think it much better for him to to occupy the WH during business hours, at least. Maybe he can go back to NYC for the weekends. Now, a huge problem is where Barron (and, by proxy, Melania) will live, at least initially.
I don't know if they want to interrupt his schooling. Apparently, he's in a real "hoity toity" private school in NYC... very hard to get into... or get back into. So he might not reside at the WH, immediately. But that raises the question of where Melania will be? To have POTUS and FLOTUS living apart for any length of time (i.e. > than a two week trip) would put a hefty strain on the Secret Service "Presidential Protection Detail..."

If they were to have Barron stay in the NY area to finish school this year, the smarter move would be for him and Melania to live in their NJ home and not Trump Tower, so that it need not be secured by the Secret Service... a lot less burdensome on the other occupants of TT. Barron will just have an interesting "ride to school" every day.

That gives them time for him to finish out his school year, and find a new school in DC (probably Sidwell Friends Academy... where Chelsea and the Obama daughters went). Then they can move to the WH.