[Tom Bishop]

No, the Secretary of Defense does not have carte blanche to reveal military secrets at his pleasure. Only the president has that privilege

Actually, the Secretary of Defense has original classification authority, just like the President.


https://www.cdse.edu/Portals/124/Documents/jobaids/information/oca-desktop-reference.pdf

     "OCAs, also called original classifiers, include the President, Vice President, Secretary of Defense, the Secretaries of the Military Departments, and other officials within the Department of Defense (DoD) who have been specifically delegated this authority in writing."


As mentioned, Trump can declassify at will. This is because he has original classification authority.

https://www.justsecurity.org/86777/dispelling-myths-how-classification-and-declassification-actually-work/

Reality #4: Presidents Have Broad Declassification Authority and Need Not Follow Any Formal Procedures

     "Trump’s unsupported claims that he declassified the White House records at Mar-a-Lago also generated conversation about the president’s power to declassify information. Here, too, much of the commentary was misinformed. Everyone rightly agrees that the president has broad declassification authority. Focusing just on its language, Executive Order 13526 grants declassification authority to “a supervisory official of either the originator or his or her successor in function, if the supervisory official has original classification authority.” As head of the executive branch, the president would plainly qualify as a “supervisory official” over all other OCAs. Even putting that language aside, given that classified information is created by and for the president under the Order, the president also has inherent authority to declassify information (1) as the creator of Executive Order 13526 and (2) through their constitutional authority over national security information.

..The only question then is: must the president follow any specific declassification procedures? The answer is a resounding no for two reasons. First, Executive Order 13526 on its face contains no such declassification procedures. The Order sets forth (1) who may declassify information and (2) what standards they should apply, but beyond that, there is no additional process required."

With the same justification for why the President can declassify at will, so can the Secretary of Defense as an Original Classification Authority.


Our friend Google AI agrees: Secretary of Defense Original Classification Authority (OCA) can declassify like the president

     >>Yes, the Secretary of Defense, as an Original Classification Authority (OCA), can declassify information, similar to the President, but their declassification authority is limited to information under their purview within the Department of Defense.

[AATW]

Of course, Trump's reaction is just to attack the journalist and the magazine, calling it a "failing magazine". Presumably because they have criticised him in the past.

Back in the real world

https://edition.cnn.com/2024/10/11/media/the-atlantic-magazine-print-monthly-subscription

But obviously it doesn't matter because black is white, wet is dry and his cult members will just believe anything he says.

[DuncanDoenitz]

Just seems to be symptomatic of this Executive.  On the one hand; Authority, Justification, Ability.  On the other hand; Morality, Ethics, Responsibility. 

Taking this further, when a package of Navy F/A-18s, Growlers and KC-135s is en-route to bomb the Iranian nuclear facilities, the Commander in Chief or Secretary of Defense have justification and authority to declassify the route, timings and refuelling rendezvous with impunity.   

The important take-away is that courts and Congress can't touch them.  Glad we clarified that. 

[honk]

No, the Secretary of Defense does not have carte blanche to reveal military secrets at his pleasure. Only the president has that privilege

Actually, the Secretary of Defense has original classification authority, just like the President.


https://www.cdse.edu/Portals/124/Documents/jobaids/information/oca-desktop-reference.pdf

     "OCAs, also called original classifiers, include the President, Vice President, Secretary of Defense, the Secretaries of the Military Departments, and other officials within the Department of Defense (DoD) who have been specifically delegated this authority in writing."

By this logic, all these people, including "other officials within the Department of Defense," also have carte blanche to reveal military secrets at their pleasure. We know that can't be true. Beyond the fact that this document is talking about classification and not declassification, you're conflating having the power to classify or declassify information as a job and a duty with the privilege of being able to reveal anything you want to anyone you want and answer to no one over it. Of course the Secretary of Defense and other high-ranking officials in the DoD have jobs that will involve classifying or declassifying information from time to time, but that doesn't mean that there are no rules and they can just go with their gut and unilaterally decide that something that's very clearly supposed to be classified should actually be declassified after all. Only the president has that privilege.

[markjo]

Your imagined rules for discretion mean nothing, and if they did apply, would apply to low and medium level soldiers, and not the people who make the rules and communicate military activities.

It isn't a question of discretion.  It's a question of national security.  Then again, when your boss is the kind of man who likes to keep top secret documents in a bathroom at his country club, I suppose national security is more of an offhand notion than an actual concern.  I can't help but to wonder what your reaction would be if this happened on Biden's watch.

[Tom Bishop]

By this logic, all these people, including "other officials within the Department of Defense," also have carte blanche to reveal military secrets at their pleasure.

Correct, the department heads have this privilege. This is why Hillary Clinton was not punished for her emails and why James Comey was not punished for his leaked memos

https://prospect.org/power/hillary-indicted-be-objective-legal-analysis/

Not only was Secretary Clinton the ultimate authority within the State Department to determine whether State Department information should be classified, but she was also the ultimate authority in determining whether classified information should be declassified. Moreover, declassification when done at the highest level appears to require no formal procedure. Indeed, we have a history of high-level officials engaging in "instant declassification," most notably by leaking classified information to the press for political or strategic advantage.

https://www.politifact.com/article/2018/apr/24/what-law-says-about-james-comeys-leaked-memos/

Comey’s role as FBI director at the time he penned the memos adds another wrinkle to the analysis. In that role, Comey was considered an "original classification authority," which means he was authorized to determine whether his memos were classified. "The classification authority at the FBI lies with the director, who can delegate that authority to others," said Peter M. Shane, a law professor at Ohio State University. "But Comey's memos would not have been classified unless he himself classified them."

[AATW]

I can't help but to wonder what your reaction would be if this happened on Biden's watch.

Well that’s the point. The first question for Tom when things like this happen is not “is this ok?” but “who did it?”. The answer to the second question informs his answer to the first. If the answer to the second question is Trump or one of his administration then the answer to the first has to become “yes, this is ok”. Obviously there’s some part of his brain that knows it isn’t, but he can’t admit it to us. Maybe he doesn’t admit it to himself. He will do any mental and logical backflips necessary to defend his Supreme Leader. It’s an illness. He will never admit that the Emperor is strutting around naked.

[Lord Dave]

By this logic, all these people, including "other officials within the Department of Defense," also have carte blanche to reveal military secrets at their pleasure.

Correct, the department heads have this privilege. This is why Hillary Clinton was not punished for her emails and why James Comey was not punished for his leaked memos

https://prospect.org/power/hillary-indicted-be-objective-legal-analysis/

Not only was Secretary Clinton the ultimate authority within the State Department to determine whether State Department information should be classified, but she was also the ultimate authority in determining whether classified information should be declassified. Moreover, declassification when done at the highest level appears to require no formal procedure. Indeed, we have a history of high-level officials engaging in "instant declassification," most notably by leaking classified information to the press for political or strategic advantage.

https://www.politifact.com/article/2018/apr/24/what-law-says-about-james-comeys-leaked-memos/

Comey’s role as FBI director at the time he penned the memos adds another wrinkle to the analysis. In that role, Comey was considered an "original classification authority," which means he was authorized to determine whether his memos were classified. "The classification authority at the FBI lies with the director, who can delegate that authority to others," said Peter M. Shane, a law professor at Ohio State University. "But Comey's memos would not have been classified unless he himself classified them."

So when Trump bashed Hillary for putting "classified" information on a private server... By this logic she had every right to without consequences as this could be considered declassification.

So was Trump just ignorant or lying?

[Lord Dave]

I fucking called it.

https://www.whitehouse.gov/presidential-actions/2025/03/preserving-and-protecting-the-integrity-of-american-elections/

Summary:
Elections will now be managed by the federal government.  Failure to comply will result in removal of funding.


That being said.  Some of it is good like giving states access to the federal database.  And giving them a way to verify a person is a citizen without fee.  Assuming they actually pay for it and not just force states to front that cost.


Of course, all of this is now under Elon's control and I trust him about as far as I can throw a Tesla.  He's going to review everyone and given how he couldn't even count savings right, what hope does he have of this?
It also means he can, at his discression, just eliminate people from voting records. 
"Nope, not a valid voter.  Delete."

Expect alot of people losing voting access in blue states.

[AATW]

So when Trump bashed Hillary for putting "classified" information on a private server... By this logic she had every right to without consequences as this could be considered declassification.

So was Trump just ignorant or lying?

We all know how Tom would have reacted had this happened under Biden.
But it didn't, it was on his cult leader's watch. So he has to defend or downplay it. So instead he flails around first saying it wasn't a big deal, now pivoting to claim they had every right to declassify this information - which even if true is irrelevant, this wasn't declassified, it was accidentally leaked when they added a fucking journalist to a group chat. I mean holy shit, how much more incompetent can you get?!

[Action80]

I for one am on the pro- NOT KEEPING WAR PLAN SECRETS- side of the aisle.

[Action80]

So instead he flails around first saying it wasn't a big deal, now pivoting to claim they had every right to declassify this information - which even if true is irrelevant, this wasn't declassified, it was accidentally leaked when they added a fucking journalist to a group chat. I mean holy shit, how much more incompetent can you get?!

They do have the authority to declassify information; further, you have no fucking evidence classified information was even fucking shared with the ass-hatted reporter.

Who is to say it was a fucking accident?

The writer of the article reminds everyone that Trump had promised his administration would be implementing strikes against the Houthis prior to his election.

This story is a big fucking nothing-burger.

[Tom Bishop]

So when Trump bashed Hillary for putting "classified" information on a private server... By this logic she had every right to without consequences as this could be considered declassification.

So was Trump just ignorant or lying?

I recall that much of the criticism was that Hillary was repeatedly lied about doing it and after she was put under investigation she wiped her servers clean with bleach bit and physically destroyed her mobile phones, leading some to believe that she was engaging in traitorous activity that she really needed to hide. The improper handling of classified materials was a side matter, and it was brought up at the time that she had original classification authority in her position, which I am sure Trump was at least somewhat aware of.

So when Trump bashed Hillary for putting "classified" information on a private server... By this logic she had every right to without consequences as this could be considered declassification.

So was Trump just ignorant or lying?

We all know how Tom would have reacted had this happened under Biden.

Actually I've said that as President, Biden and his lackeys can get away with crimes under his administration. Just because you are misinformed about this doesn't mean that everyone is.

[Lord Dave]

So when Trump bashed Hillary for putting "classified" information on a private server... By this logic she had every right to without consequences as this could be considered declassification.

So was Trump just ignorant or lying?

I recall that much of the criticism was that Hillary was repeatedly lied about doing it and after she was put under investigation she wiped her servers clean with bleach bit and physically destroyed her mobile phones, leading some to believe that she was engaging in traitorous activity that she really needed to hide. The improper handling of classified materials was a side matter, and it was brought up at the time that she had original classification authority in her position, which I am sure Trump was at least somewhat aware of.

You recall poorly.
Her servers weren't wiped, only a few thousand emails, which she claimed were things like spam and private messages, were deleted.  Not sure about the mobile phones but probably were if they were being retired.

[Lord Dave]

I for one am on the pro- NOT KEEPING WAR PLAN SECRETS- side of the aisle.

This seems like it would make it very easy for the people being attacked to avoid said attack.

So instead he flails around first saying it wasn't a big deal, now pivoting to claim they had every right to declassify this information - which even if true is irrelevant, this wasn't declassified, it was accidentally leaked when they added a fucking journalist to a group chat. I mean holy shit, how much more incompetent can you get?!

They do have the authority to declassify information; further, you have no fucking evidence classified information was even fucking shared with the ass-hatted reporter.

Who is to say it was a fucking accident?

The writer of the article reminds everyone that Trump had promised his administration would be implementing strikes against the Houthis prior to his election.

This story is a big fucking nothing-burger.

And yet they won't release the chat text.  Why not, if it's not classified?  Would clear things up quickly.

[AATW]

They do have the authority to declassify information

Irrelevant. Nothing was deliberately declassified.

you have no evidence classified information was even  shared with the reporter.

The Atlantic just published the attack plans he was sent by accident, so...

Who is to say it was a fucking accident?

Literally everyone. Waltz has said he accepts full responsibility.

This story is a big fucking nothing-burger.

I'd be interested to see what your response would have been had this happened under Biden.
Obviously we'll never know, I don't think anyone in his administration was quite this incompetent.

[Dr Van Nostrand]

Of course, Trump's reaction is just to attack the journalist and the magazine, calling it a "failing magazine". Presumably because they have criticised him in the past.

Back in the real world

https://edition.cnn.com/2024/10/11/media/the-atlantic-magazine-print-monthly-subscription

But obviously it doesn't matter because black is white, wet is dry and his cult members will just believe anything he says.

Ok.. So the top military leadership of the U.S. had no idea they were a perfect use case for a Pegasus spyware attack.

"but, but, Signal is encrypted!"

These people are fucking idiots. Just wait until they assemble their 'Strategic Bitcoin Reserve' on used third party hardware wallets they bought on Taobao.

[Lord Dave]

https://www.theatlantic.com/politics/archive/2025/03/signal-group-chat-attack-plans-hegseth-goldberg/682176
In case tom or action want to pivot to "well it's true but it's fine..."

These are pretty damn specific and very helpful if you're gonna be hit by a missile in an hour.


Also shows how they kill you even if it kills civies.  They blew up a whole apartment building to kill one guy.


And more talk about stuff they did not want us to know about the Suez canal and that they need to focus on "it's Biden's fault and Iran" which is exactly what we all expected.

[honk]

Tom's wish has been granted - we now no longer need to take Goldberg's word for it that some of the information shared would have been dangerous in the wrong hands. Regardless of whether or not the Secretary of Defense has the legal right to make these disclosures on a whim, it clearly isn't what happened here. This wasn't an interview or an official media release. The people in this chat were simply being lazy and reckless.

[Tom Bishop]

There isn't enough information in that chat to save the target or stop the missiles. We basically just have a country and a time.