Kushner talk withh congressional interns, leaked

[Dr. Arch]

The President has the authority to declassify classified information. "Leaks" suggests unauthorized disclosure. Depending on the circumstances, it is possible for the President to cause just as much or even more damage to the nation by disseminating classified information himself compared to a leak, but it cannot be described as a leak.

What if he "leaks" the information before he declassifies it? Perhaps in an instance where declassifying it doesn't even come to mind, and he just runs his mouth anyway?

Accidental disclosure is a form of declassification. If the President (or even a Cabinet Secretary or agency director for matters which are solely the responsibility of his/her own agency) discloses information that was not intended to be disclosed, it is a form of declassification, and it is up to the relevant agencies to determine how best to deal with it, such as the scope of declassification that occurred. As the head of the executive branch, the President's authority in this regard is basically absolute and unrestricted.

This is correct. 

So the president could literally leak anything and it's fine.  Troop deployments, covert operations, identifying undercover intelligence operatives, etc.

No big deal.

Just curious, what is your opinion of Trump's leak?  (I didn't type that sentence with the pee pee tape in mind, just fyi....but now that's all I can think about when I read it...oh well, not editing it lol)  Unwise?  Nothingburger?  Stupid mistake?  Careless?

Weren't they going on about Hillary not being able to be trusted with classified info? Who knew she could just declassify it the moment she "leaked it" "on purpose"?

[Badger]

The President has the authority to declassify classified information. "Leaks" suggests unauthorized disclosure. Depending on the circumstances, it is possible for the President to cause just as much or even more damage to the nation by disseminating classified information himself compared to a leak, but it cannot be described as a leak.

What if he "leaks" the information before he declassifies it? Perhaps in an instance where declassifying it doesn't even come to mind, and he just runs his mouth anyway?

Accidental disclosure is a form of declassification. If the President (or even a Cabinet Secretary or agency director for matters which are solely the responsibility of his/her own agency) discloses information that was not intended to be disclosed, it is a form of declassification, and it is up to the relevant agencies to determine how best to deal with it, such as the scope of declassification that occurred. As the head of the executive branch, the President's authority in this regard is basically absolute and unrestricted.

This is correct. 

Which is PRECISELY the same reaction and tone Santander, Grumps, and folks like them would have taken if Obama had ever done anything one-tenth as stupid and Reckless under the circumstances. Amarite?

[Badger]

More importantly. Isn't it the content and scariness of what is being leaked rather than the source of the leak that is 10 times as important?