Kushner talk withh congressional interns, leaked

[Absentee Voting Ghost of Ruin]

https://www.wired.com/story/jared-kushner-middle-east/

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Full  audio here:
https://www.wired.com/story/jared-kushner-leak-full-audio/

[Beezer]

Kind of disgusting and ultimately this kind of behavior will hurt both parties. Or does anybody here think the leaking will stop after a change in the White House?

[America Needs R'hllor]

Kind of disgusting and ultimately this kind of behavior will hurt both parties. Or does anybody here think the leaking will stop after a change in the White House?

There's leaking because Trump is incompetent. It didn't happen during the Obama years.

[Gustaf]

I think there are multiple specific reasons. Trump is an awful manager who hires awful people with no loyalty to him and who can't inspire loyalty in their subordinates. He has specifically attacked a lot of the people around him alienating them. Everyone with an ounce of competence can tell he's a danger to the nation so leaking will seem morally justified to a lot of people. And there is also a fundamental managerial incompetence in stemming the leaks and sharing info with the right people.

I'm sure a normal president who isn't a babbling fool will have much less leaks.

[Middle-aged Europe]

Donald Trump and his administration usually exhibit behavior that commands neither respect nor loyalty, and many people who have to work there are probably pretty frustrated about it. Leaking is their way of letting off some steam.

Maybe the voters should elect someone with a personality which commands respect or loyalty next time. But in 2016, voters (well, at least a strong minority of them) deliberately picked a president who's an asshole.

[Inmate Trump]

He only hires the best people....the leakers....

This is our president.

[Stranger in a strange land]

Jared and Ivanka are the leakers. Notice how in every story they're either the good guys or the sole voices of reason? Classic Unreliable Narrators.

[AZDem]

Kind of disgusting and ultimately this kind of behavior will hurt both parties. Or does anybody here think the leaking will stop after a change in the White House?

There's leaking because Trump is incompetent. It didn't happen during the Obama years.

Don't forget Trump advocated leaks of hacked campaign emails against Clinton so any outrage from him or anyone in his administration is the height of hypocrisy.

I do agree this is disgusting and could ultimately affect national security if heads of state are reluctant to engage with Trump. Ultimately, this shows just how incompetent and undisciplined this administration really is.

[Grumpier Than Uncle Joe]

Leakers should be hanged.

[Absentee Voting Ghost of Ruin]

Leakers should be hanged.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Donald_Trump%27s_disclosure_of_classified_information_to_Russia

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[Grumpier Than Uncle Joe]

Trump can de-classify anything he wants anytime he wants, pretty much.

[Inmate Trump]

Leakers should be hanged.

You're aware that Trump leaked classified info to Russia?

[Santander]

Leakers should be hanged.

You're aware that Trump leaked classified info to Russia?

When the President does it, it is, quite literally, not a leak.

[Inmate Trump]

Leakers should be hanged.

You're aware that Trump leaked classified info to Russia?

When the President does it, it is, quite literally, not a leak.

Please explain.

[Santander]

Leakers should be hanged.

You're aware that Trump leaked classified info to Russia?

When the President does it, it is, quite literally, not a leak.

Please explain.

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.

[Virginiá]

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?

[Santander]

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.

[publicunofficial]

"Who could possibly be leaking all my conversations?" *fires 6 more people*

[ProudModerate2]

Accidental disclosure is a form of declassification ...

[Grumpier Than Uncle Joe]

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. 

[GeorgiaModerate]

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. 

Shorter version: for an average government employee, such a disclosure would potentially be criminal.  For the President, it's just stupid but not criminal.

[Santander]

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.  

Shorter version: for an average government employee, such a disclosure would potentially be criminal.  For the President, it's just stupid but not criminal.

It's not about the President being above the law. It is a matter of organizational hierarchy. The office of President is the apex of the executive branch, and thus is authorized to do anything that individuals in the bureaucracy under him are authorized to do, in addition to things that only he is authorized to do, subject only to Constitutional checks from the legislative and judicial branches. (and of course, the will of the electorate if he runs for re-election) Government employees are subject to procedures implemented by their leadership.

[Absentee Voting Ghost of Ruin]

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. 

"It's not illegal if the President does it" didn't fly last time around either.

The difference is this GOP President is probably too insane and stupid to know when it's time to leave. When the time comes, I will enjoy the schadenfreude of either his panicked, paper-shredding flight or his ignominious perp walk.

[GeorgiaModerate]

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.  

Shorter version: for an average government employee, such a disclosure would potentially be criminal.  For the President, it's just stupid but not criminal.

It's not about the President being above the law. It is a matter of organizational hierarchy. The office of President is the apex of the executive branch, and thus is authorized to do anything that individuals in the bureaucracy under him are authorized to do, in addition to things that only he is authorized to do, subject only to Constitutional checks from the legislative and judicial branches. (and of course, the will of the electorate if he runs for re-election) Government employees are subject to procedures implemented by their leadership.

Right, I wasn't trying to imply that it was about the President being above the law.  In this case, his disclosure of the information was lawful precisely because of the organizational hierarchy that you mentioned.   However, "it was technically legal" is the best that can be said of the incident.  Even though it was lawful, it was either a terrible misjudgment (deliberate sharing of intelligence in a way that damaged the US relationship with one of our closest allies) or it was a case of stupidly shooting his mouth off to impress his audience (the more likely explanation with Trump).

Something can be lawful and still be wrong.  Some people on the left would like this to be criminal; it's not.  Some on the right would like this to be perfectly OK; it's not that either.  The truth is between the two extremes: it wasn't criminal, but it was stupid and harmful.

[Inmate Trump]

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?