Nearly a week ago, Donald Trump won the election, and his life will never be the same again. Already, Trump Tower has been turned into a fortress as the NYPD and Secret Service block sidewalks with barriers as he remains cloistered in his apartment. The whole affair has generally disrupted a block in Manhattan, and there’s even word that Trump doesn’t want to stay full-time in D.C. He’d prefer instead to split time between the White House, Trump Tower, and his Mar-a-Lago estate in Florida. More and more, it sounds like Trump truly didn’t think he’d win.
Reports indicated that Trump was somewhat overwhelmed upon learning “the scope of the presidency.” Is he in for a rude awakening? Perhaps, but the Trump transition team has swiftly denied a new story from CBS News, which said Trump asked for his children to receive top secret security clearance to ease his transition into the White House. Here was that fanfiction:
The Trump team has asked the White House to explore the possibility of getting his children the top secret security clearances. Logistically, the children would need to be designated by the current White House as national security advisers to their father to receive top secret clearances. However, once Mr. Trump becomes president, he would be able to put in the request himself.
His children would need to fill out the security questionnaire (SF-86) and go through the requisite background checks. While nepotism rules prevent the president-elect from hiring his kids to work in the White House, they do not need to be government officials to receive top secret security clearances.
The story spread like wildfire because it sounded … like something he might mention? Before long, Mic received an email, which included a Trump transition official’s statement that no such clearance had been requested. The rep added, “That’s not something I’m expecting right now.”
Well, CBS News never indicated which Trump kids were “seeking” the clearance, but the denial is good news. After all, it’s a little bizarre to think of the guy who allegedly steals lemonade and the dude who compared refugees to Skittles landing top secret security clearance. However, that would be one of the least weird things about this whole damn election.
(Via CBS News, New York Times & Mic)