I have been studying the inner workings of how the classification system works.
I am more confused now about Trump's case than I was before!
What I have learned so far:
Must the president follow any specific declassification procedures?
The answer is a resounding no for two reasons.
First, Executive Order 13526 on its face contains no such declassification procedures.
The Order sets forth (1) who may declassify information and (2) what standards they should apply, but beyond that, there is no additional process required.
While both individual agencies and the Information and Security Oversight Office have developed additional rules about how declassification should be carried out, none of these procedures apply to the president.
Second, given the president’s constitutional authority over both classified information and the administration of presidential executive orders, even if Executive Order 13526 did establish constraints, they are at most self-constraints that the president has the power to ignore.
What am I missing❓
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