Trump pressured aides to get security clearances for Ivanka, Kushner - CNN

 

FILE PHOTO: U.S. White House advisors, Ivanka Trump and Jared Kushner attend the annual Munich Security Conference in Munich, Germany February 16, 2019. REUTERS/Michael Dalder/File Photo

 

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S. President Donald Trump pressured his chief of staff and White House counsel to grant his daughter and White House adviser Ivanka Trump a security clearance against their recommendations, CNN reported on Tuesday.

 

Trump pushed for John Kelly, his chief of staff at the time, and Donald McGahn, who was then his White House counsel, to grant the security clearances to his daughter and Jared Kushner, her husband and another White House adviser, following concerns raised by the personnel office, CNN reported.

 

Both men refused to grant the security clearances to the couple, and ultimately Trump awarded them to the pair himself, according to CNN, which cited three sources.

 

The White House did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

 

The New York Times reported last week that Trump ordered his chief of staff to grant Kushner a top-secret security clearance. Senior administration officials were troubled by the decision, and Kelly wrote an internal memo about the order.

 

Ivanka Trump said in a television interview last month that her father had "no involvement" in granting her or Kushner clearances.

 

It was not clear what the specific issues with their security clearances were.

 

(Reporting by Makini Brice; Editing by Alistair Bell)

 

-- © Copyright Reuters 2019-03-06

Donald knows the best people(not)

Welcome to The Badda-Bing.

 

 

This is an entire family built on excess.  Excess wealth. Excess privilege. Excess greed. Excess personal grandeur. And, now, excess access. In what universe did they ever imagine they could keep this under wraps and sail right through as if nothing has happened? (BTW, the story has been out there for some time already.) It becomes increasingly clear that Trump is simply too lazy and uninterested to carry out his daily work schedule and policymaking meetings. All the president wants is to get attention and stand in front of cameras and do third rate performance art. The real president is Kushner. Absolutely clear.

Edited March 6, 20197 yr by zydeco

Only a couple of days ago Ivanka was on TV making catagorical denials that her father never intervened in the issuing of security clearances.

 

It’s not simply the nepotism or the security concerns of the President going directly against the advice of the nation’s security services.

 

It’s the constant coordinated lying comeing from Trump, his kids and all around him.

2 hours ago, webfact said:

Ivanka Trump said in a television interview last month that her father had "no involvement" in granting her or Kushner clearances.

 

In her defense, she may not have been aware that daddy got her a Top Security Clearance. She often appears to be "clueless".

 

2 hours ago, webfact said:

It was not clear what the specific issues with their security clearances were.

You know things are coming off the rails when your CoS is writing himself CYA Memos for the Record so soon into his (brief) tenure.

Y'all are a bunch of fools, as well as whoever wrote this piece and failed to do any due diligence.  The President is able to give people a security clearance all by himself......he doesn't need to pressure anyone.  Read that yesterday......must have been on FOX News......CNN sure as hell didn't print it.

11 minutes ago, TGIR said:

Y'all are a bunch of fools, as well as whoever wrote this piece and failed to do any due diligence.  The President is able to give people a security clearance all by himself......he doesn't need to pressure anyone.  Read that yesterday......must have been on FOX News......CNN sure as hell didn't print it.

Everybody knows who the fool is. The issue is not the Presidential power to grant security clearances. He could give one to Putin if he wanted, and he might if he thought he could get away with it. The issue is nobody hires his unqualified family members to run the government of the world's most powerful country, and especially where US security agencies have strongly advised against one of those family members getting clearance because he might be compromised by the Russians.

 

Get a clue.

Here's what a guy who vetted judges and senior justice officials had to say about Kushner the son-in-law, the inexperienced, incompetent senior adviser to the office of the most powerful man in the world.

 

Quote

...He omitted potentially disqualifying details from his background questionnaire, suggested setting up a back channel to a hostile foreign government during the transition, and has been discussed as a weak link by foreign powers, according to a Washington Post report sourced to "current and former U.S. officials familiar with intelligence reports on the matter."

 

https://www.yahoo.com/news/vetted-judges-senior-justice-officials-080007345.html

1 hour ago, TGIR said:

Y'all are a bunch of fools, as well as whoever wrote this piece and failed to do any due diligence.  The President is able to give people a security clearance all by himself......he doesn't need to pressure anyone.  Read that yesterday......must have been on FOX News......CNN sure as hell didn't print it.

Well. Glad you cleared that up and raised your true colours. Thank you.

 

And I suppose you see nothing wrong with Trump obtaining security clearance for members of his family. Isn't that called nepotism? Clown!

...witnesses have said otherwise....

 

 

2 hours ago, TGIR said:

Y'all are a bunch of fools, as well as whoever wrote this piece and failed to do any due diligence.  The President is able to give people a security clearance all by himself......he doesn't need to pressure anyone.  Read that yesterday......must have been on FOX News......CNN sure as hell didn't print it.

Yeah, this story can't be true. It makes Trump seem like a cartoon clown, a complete moron. That surely isn't true, is it?

1 hour ago, SOTIRIOS said:

...witnesses have said otherwise....

 

 

They witnessed something not happening?

5 hours ago, TGIR said:

Y'all are a bunch of fools, as well as whoever wrote this piece and failed to do any due diligence.  The President is able to give people a security clearance all by himself......he doesn't need to pressure anyone.  Read that yesterday......must have been on FOX News......CNN sure as hell didn't print it.

Yes, it has been widely reported that the President can grant security clearances to anyone he wants to.  That raises the question of why the President is lying about granting these clearances.  Why would he do that?

9 hours ago, TGIR said:

Y'all are a bunch of fools, as well as whoever wrote this piece and failed to do any due diligence.  The President is able to give people a security clearance all by himself......he doesn't need to pressure anyone.  Read that yesterday......must have been on FOX News......CNN sure as hell didn't print it.

The security agencies were against it as well.  Hmmmm, wonder why?

14 hours ago, TGIR said:

Y'all are a bunch of fools, as well as whoever wrote this piece and failed to do any due diligence.  The President is able to give people a security clearance all by himself.

 

No one is questioning the authority that trump has to give his little girl (no, not Tiffany thank goodness) a top security clearance. What President hasn't granted their family members a top security clearance?

 

What some are questioning:

 

why does Ivanka need a top security clearance?

 

why did she prevaricate on the process for her and her husband's ultimate clearance being granted?

 

what did the investigations into Jared and Ivanka's reveal?

 

why were Jared and Ivanka denied security clearances by the professionals?

 

why did trump order CoS Kelly and WH Lawyer McGahn to grant these clearances?

 

why did Kelly and McGahn refuse?

 

when and why did trump simply exercise his authority?

 

why did trump lie about not being involved?

 

 

 

There is a swampy stench here, but one which could be easily cleared up by answering these simple questions. 

 

 

I'm sure there's nothing to hide here.

 

 

 

 

 

Edited March 7, 20197 yr by mtls2005

15 hours ago, TGIR said:

Y'all are a bunch of fools, as well as whoever wrote this piece and failed to do any due diligence.  The President is able to give people a security clearance all by himself......he doesn't need to pressure anyone.  Read that yesterday......must have been on FOX News......CNN sure as hell didn't print it.

Legally he can, but this is one more item piling on to Trump's scale of irresponsible acts. EVERYONE involved with the clearance process said "No" to granting Jared a clearance, particularly after discovering foreign enemies were discussing how easily they could leverage Jared's shortcomings and manipulate him to their wishes. And IVANKA?!? Pleeeeeeeeeeze!

31 minutes ago, quandow said:

Legally he can, but this is one more item piling on to Trump's scale of irresponsible acts. EVERYONE involved with the clearance process said "No" to granting Jared a clearance, particularly after discovering foreign enemies were discussing how easily they could leverage Jared's shortcomings and manipulate him to their wishes. And IVANKA?!? Pleeeeeeeeeeze!

Let's also admit, that in reality, Trump couldn't give a damn about whether those two have security clearance or not, as I'm sure he divulges every and any state secret to them anyway. He merely wanted this for his own convenience of not having to provide them his copies to read the top secret briefings, but have them read them instead and give him an outline. This is the way he operates, we know he reads nothing.

 

So, you have these two clan members having access to every and any manner of state secret, being able to act on highly classified intelligence to make strategic moves to enrich themselves and their empire, and at the same time, both horribly untrained and incompetent to understand the national security and policy implications of what they've just read, and therefore, giving untrained, incorrect advice to Trump, upon which he acts (together with policy fed to him by Sean Hannity). 

6 minutes ago, keemapoot said:

So, you have these two clan members having access to every and any manner of state secret, being able to act on highly classified intelligence to make strategic moves to enrich themselves and their empire, and at the same time, both horribly untrained and incompetent to understand the national security and policy implications of what they've just read, and therefore, giving untrained, incorrect advice to Trump, upon which he acts (together with policy fed to him by Sean Hannity). 

 

23 hours ago, Bundooman said:

Well. Glad you cleared that up and raised your true colours. Thank you.

 

And I suppose you see nothing wrong with Trump obtaining security clearance for members of his family. Isn't that called nepotism? Clown!

If you knew anything about the Trump family you would be aware of the fact that his children were essentially raised in his office.  They have all evolved into intelligent, productive members of society. (my opinion, and I don't care about yours)  I bet he speaks with each of them every day at length.  Whatever you think of him, or them, they would likely discuss any and all matters of import to him regardless of "security" concerns.  He no doubt issued them clearances to keep all of them and himself from being betrayed by the Democrats or "Never-Trumpers" for simply speaking to each other.   Call it whatever you want, I know of no other President or children of Presidents who have worked for NOTHING as a token of respect to their country.    

 

Edited March 7, 20197 yr by TGIR
abusive language

6 minutes ago, TGIR said:

If you knew anything about the Trump family you would be aware of the fact that his children were essentially raised in his office.  They have all evolved into intelligent, productive members of society. (my opinion, and I don't care about yours)  I bet he speaks with each of them every day at length.  Whatever you think of him, or them, they would likely discuss any and all matters of import to him regardless of "security" concerns.  He no doubt issued them clearances to keep all of them and himself from being betrayed by the Democrats or "Never-Trumpers" for simply speaking to each other.   Call it whatever you want, I know of no other President or children of Presidents who have worked for NOTHING as a token of respect to their country.    

 

"Whatever you think of him, or them, they would likely discuss any and all matters of import to him regardless of "security" concerns."

I have no doubt you're right. But that speaks to Trump's lack of self-control. You think that's a good thing

If you actually cared about facts you would use this thing called Google and you would find that Herbert Hoover and John F Kennedy donated all their salaries to charity. And because of that, these 2 extremely wealthy men,  like Trump. had to give up exactly what? And I know of no other modern President, or any other president who donated charitable funds to himself. Fraud much?

Also, I know of no other President who promoted his businesses while in office. And no other wealthy President who didn't put his holding in a blind trust. And has corporate lobbyists and foreign government pouring cash into his hotel in Washington. Or who stopped the FBI from moving to its new HQ where the space vacated would be adjacent to Trump's hotel and a prime location for a competitor. He reeks of veniality.

  

Looks like this topic is just about finished.....bristolboy, at this point, after over two years of everyone but the Pope having had his say about Trump, oops, I think even the Pope weighed in a while ago.  Anyway, it is abundantly clear half of America, most of Europe and who knows where else, everyone and his brother loves to hate Donald Trump.

 

I freely admit to thinking Donald Trump was a (pick your own words) when he first contemplated running for President.  I saw him in person once many years ago and he seemed like a self absorbed pretty boy with not much in the way of brains..................and there are days even now where I wonder if he's misplaced his compass.

 

That being said, if only for the conservatives, try to imagine given the swing to the far left our young people have taken, where America will be fourteen or fifteen years from now with a liberal President at the helm. I am praying every day lately that I'll still have a Social Security check coming, among other, more serious worries.  I am not the smartest person but I cannot think of a single living person with the guts to take the punishment Trump has endured, and still be able to function and fulfill every single campaign promise he made, but the one he's still working on.  I cannot remember a single one of the many Presidents I have voted for that even cared if he fulfilled his campaign promises.  And sadly, I can't think of a single man or woman who would fill his shoes.......douche-bag that he is, he is the man for the hour.  If he's lucky enough to make it through 2004 we have some ugly prospects ahead after he is gone.

1 minute ago, TGIR said:

Looks like this topic is just about finished.....bristolboy, at this point, after over two years of everyone but the Pope having had his say about Trump, oops, I think even the Pope weighed in a while ago.  Anyway, it is abundantly clear half of America, most of Europe and who knows where else, everyone and his brother loves to hate Donald Trump.

 

I freely admit to thinking Donald Trump was a (pick your own words) when he first contemplated running for President.  I saw him in person once many years ago and he seemed like a self absorbed pretty boy with not much in the way of brains..................and there are days even now where I wonder if he's misplaced his compass.

 

That being said, if only for the conservatives, try to imagine given the swing to the far left our young people have taken, where America will be fourteen or fifteen years from now with a liberal President at the helm. I am praying every day lately that I'll still have a Social Security check coming, among other, more serious worries.  I am not the smartest person but I cannot think of a single living person with the guts to take the punishment Trump has endured, and still be able to function and fulfill every single campaign promise he made, but the one he's still working on.  I cannot remember a single one of the many Presidents I have voted for that even cared if he fulfilled his campaign promises.  And sadly, I can't think of a single man or woman who would fill his shoes.......douche-bag that he is, he is the man for the hour.  If he's lucky enough to make it through 2004 we have some ugly prospects ahead after he is gone.

I see that you have absolutely abandoned your defense of his moral character. Giving up his salary? Really>?

 

Has he fulfilled all his campaign promises?

What happened to infrastructure?

What happened to improving health insurance?

Was slashing taxes on the richest Americans part of his campaign? On the contrary

Trump: I Believe In Raising Taxes on the Wealthy, "Including Myself"

https://www.realclearpolitics.com/video/2016/04/21/trump_i_believe_in_raising_taxes_on_the_wealthy_including_myself.html

He also promised to be tough on hedge funds and the banks. Instead his administration has loosened the restrictions imposed by Dodd Frank. Oh yeah, he also promised to make hedge fund operators pay higher taxes. How did that work out.

In fact, most of the achievements of Donald Trump so widely celebrated by his supporters are absolutely no different from what any standard corporate Republican would support.

And after all his denunciations of NAFTA, how did that turn out? And it looks like he's about to mostly back down on trade with China.

Some achievements.

Well, for a last blast, the game isn't over yet.  Lots left to do and lots of of heartache for all of us, Dems and Republicans.   We'll be able to measure Trump's accomplishments when he's done......one way or another.  One would have to hope, after this year, that things will settle down and the Country can come to grips with the growing chasm between the two political parties and the city people vs. the rest of us.  If not, those of us who had the good fortune to move away will wish all of you left in 'Murica a happy future.

2 minutes ago, TGIR said:

Well, for a last blast, the game isn't over yet.  Lots left to do and lots of of heartache for all of us, Dems and Republicans.   We'll be able to measure Trump's accomplishments when he's done......one way or another.  One would have to hope, after this year, that things will settle down and the Country can come to grips with the growing chasm between the two political parties and the city people vs. the rest of us.  If not, those of us who had the good fortune to move away will wish all of you left in 'Murica a happy future.

No, it's not "the city people vs. the rest of us." As the 2018 election showed, It's the rural vote  vs. the rest of us.

Can we all say nepotism?as far as hating trump he has earned it in soooo many ways in 2 short years he has changed my beloved country from a beacon of hope (flaws in all) to a pariah of nations attacked children pows gold star family’s been a fool on the world stage the dude Is a cartoon with nukes! Take the blinders off see the failure for what he is

Edited March 7, 20197 yr by Tug
Spell check error

1 minute ago, Tug said:

Can we all say nepotism?as far as hating trump he has earned it in soooo many ways in 2 short years he has changed my beloved country from a beacon of hope (flaws in all) to a pariah of nations attacked children pows gold star family’s been a fool on the world stage the dude Is a cartoon with nukes! Thank the blinders off see the failure for what he is

If you follow the link you'll see how Ivanka participated repeatedly in fraud. 

https://www.newyorker.com/news/swamp-chronicles/is-fraud-part-of-the-trump-organizations-business-model

Thanks bristolboy did I forget to mention they are a family of grifters as well

Just no giving in with you people is there?   Go ahead, ruin the country and blame everything on Trump.  We'll see where it all falls apart in the end.   You cannot and will not be able to hang every damn thing that happens in America on a single man.