Trump has no credibility with his own Dept. of Justice
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Quite simply, Trump does not know how to lead, Trump does not know how to govern.
Trump tweeted this:
Then his own Dept. of Justice completely ignores it, and says openly in a court of law that Trump's pronouncement carries no force.
https://www.politico.com/news/2020/10/13/doj-trumps-declassification-russiagate-429257
What happened: When Donald Trump tweeted last week that he authorized the "total declassification of any & all documents" related to the long-running Russia investigation and Hillary Clinton's emails — "No redactions!" he tweeted — he really didn't mean it, the Justice Department argued in court Tuesday.
DOJ attorneys told a judge that the White House Counsel's Office effectively told DOJ to disregard Trump's tweets on the matter. They weren't accompanied by an actual declassification order, and DOJ will proceed as though the tweets hadn't occurred, continuing to redact and release documents at its discretion.
"The White House Counsel's Office informed the Department that there is no order requiring wholesale declassification or disclosure of documents at issue in this matter," Associate Deputy Attorney General Bradley Weinsheimer wrote in a filing with Judge Reggie Walton, who had ordered DOJ to clarify its position after the president's tweets.
The background: Walton is presiding over a Freedom of Information Act lawsuit brought by BuzzFeed's Jason Leopold seeking the disclosure of redacted portions of special counsel Robert Mueller's report on the 2016 Trump campaign's contacts with Russia, as well as its underlying documents.
The White House's position cuts against Trump's emphatic tweet, which came amid a remarkable string of invective aimed at his political allies — as well as demands that his Justice Department indict and prosecute his political rivals, including Barack Obama, Joe Biden and Hillary Clinton.
"I have fully authorized the total Declassification of any & all documents pertaining to the single greatest political CRIME in American History, the Russia Hoax," Trump said. "Likewise, the Hillary Clinton Email Scandal. No redactions!"
The tweet drew immediate accolades from some of Trump's closest allies, who have long claimed hidden documents would expose the Russia investigation as a politically motivated assault on the Trump presidency. But DOJ made clear that Trump's pronouncement had no actual force.
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At the most basic level The President has authority to declassify anything and everything he wants.
That said, whether that actually happens in this case is another question, as the article says. DOJ (which, last time I looked is in the Executive Branch) can say, "We shouldn't." But, it can't say, "We won't." He hasn't given the order, so they are assuming they can stop declassification.
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At the most basic level The President has authority to declassify anything and everything he wants.
That said, whether that actually happens in this case is another question, as the article says. DOJ (which, last time I looked is in the Executive Branch) can say, "We shouldn't." But, it can't say, "We won't." He hasn't given the order, so they are assuming they can stop declassification.
@George-K said in Trump has no credibility with his own Dept. of Justice:
At the most basic level The President has authority to declassify anything and everything he wants.
That said, whether that actually happens in this case is another question, as the article says. DOJ (which, last time I looked is in the Executive Branch) can say, "We shouldn't." But, it can't say, "We won't." He hasn't given the order, so they are assuming they can stop declassification.
ETA: What are the odds that TRump doesn't know what's in those documents? I'd guess slim.
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@George-K said in Trump has no credibility with his own Dept. of Justice:
At the most basic level The President has authority to declassify anything and everything he wants.
That said, whether that actually happens in this case is another question, as the article says. DOJ (which, last time I looked is in the Executive Branch) can say, "We shouldn't." But, it can't say, "We won't." He hasn't given the order, so they are assuming they can stop declassification.
ETA: What are the odds that TRump doesn't know what's in those documents? I'd guess slim.
@George-K said in Trump has no credibility with his own Dept. of Justice:
@George-K said in Trump has no credibility with his own Dept. of Justice:
At the most basic level The President has authority to declassify anything and everything he wants.
That said, whether that actually happens in this case is another question, as the article says. DOJ (which, last time I looked is in the Executive Branch) can say, "We shouldn't." But, it can't say, "We won't." He hasn't given the order, so they are assuming they can stop declassification.
ETA: What are the odds that TRump doesn't know what's in those documents? I'd guess slim.
I think you are right. LOL
There may be nothing in there.
But this way, he can say to the US public that he is trying to show the corruption. His supporters are happy with his effort. Nothing will happen until after the election and then it won't be important, because at that point, he has either won or lost another term.
