Kushner's Security Clearance Isn't Going Away

Politicians, pundits and the public are proclaiming Jared Kushner should have his security clearance revoked for having hundreds of meetings missing from his SF86. As the demands for revoking his security clearance get louder the patience of legal professionals who specialize in these matters are being tested. The reason these legal minds are breaking is simple, security clearances are not mandated for the President. There are articles out there that explain this but they are bogged down in legal language, so here's a quick breakdown why Kushner's security clearance is not going away.

WHY

The whole security clearance system itself falls below presidential authority. Executive Order 12968 gives the President broad, essentially unlimited, authority over security clearances. It seems the reasoning behind that power is the President should have the ability to choose if he wants to consult private citizens about sensitive national security issues, even family members.

You see, if the Intelligence Community wanted to revoke Kusher's security clearance Trump could just reinstate it. When Congress members proclaim that Kushner's security clearance should be revoked they are playing politics. If NOT politics, they are asking Trump himself to do so. Personally, I don't see Trump doing that, but the man has shocked me on more than one occasion.

This is how I remember it; The President has God like powers with security clearances. He's the top of the chain where there is zero oversight.

Though I don't like the idea of Kushner's clearance, questions of his clearance status on CNN or in the White House briefing room seem to be just political rhetoric. We have more than enough rhetoric in our new reality. More importantly don't get your hopes up.