Rep. Adam Schiff (D-Calif.) said the U.S. Intelligence Community should “dumb down” briefings for former President Trump when he receives classified information as the eventual GOP nominee, voicing concerns about whether Trump could share the information.
Schiff hit Trump on his criminal charges for mishandling classified information and other legal cases in an NBC “Meet the Press” interview Sunday.
“We’ve never had a situation where one of the candidates for president has been so criminally negligent when it comes to handling — if not worse — classified information,” Schiff said. “So I have to hope, and knowing the Intelligence Community as I do, that they will dumb down the briefing for Donald Trump.”
Why do nominees get classified information?
Transition planning, essentially. The intent is to smooth the transition of whomever wins, sooner, so they both get it.
Should be noted that most party leaders are already high ranking political officials - Senators or Governors - who routinely get briefs on security concerns at some level.
Trump’s an exception largely because he’s only ever won an election once. If he’d been a House Rep or Senator, particularly one with a seat on the Intelligence Committee, then he’d already be juggling documents like this daily. If he was a state governor, he’d have his own gubernatorial police and intelligence services to manage.