Constitutional Qualifications
The Constitution lists only three qualifications for the Presidency — the President must be at least 35 years of age, be a natural born citizen, and must have lived in the United States for at least 14 years.
National Security Qualifications
But White House applicants undergo a thorough background investigation and corresponding national security adjudication to determine whether he or she is eligible to gain the security clearance necessary for accessing classified information or perform sensitive national security duties. The following areas of an applicant’s life are used in the determination:
| GUIDELINE | DESCRIPTION | ISSUE |
|---|---|---|
| A | Allegiance to the United States | Allegiance |
| B | Foreign influence | Allegiance |
| C | Foreign preference | Allegiance |
| D | Sexual behavior | Character |
| E | Personal conduct | Character |
| F | Financial considerations | Character |
| G | Alcohol consumption | Health |
| H | Drug use | Health |
| I | Psychological conditions | Health |
| J | Criminal behavior | Behavior |
| K | Handling protected information | Behavior |
| L | Outside activities | Behavior |
| M | Use of information technology systems | Behavior |
Financial considerations, personal conduct and foreign influence account for approximately 75% of all security clearance denials, with financials topping the list.
Presidents get access to classified information because of the office they hold and not because they meet criteria in executive orders and administrative rules like the background investigation adjudication. The president technically does not even have a clearance.
What Happens When a Presidential Candidate Can Not Get a Security Clearance?
The only action that could be taken to limit the access of a presidential candidate with a sea of red flags that would prohibit anyone else from qualifying for a security clearance is the sitting president could break with tradition and not allow the candidate, a major-party nominee, to get intelligence briefings during the campaign or as president-elect.
Presidents Must Be Able to Gain a Top Secret Clearance
The goal of this author is to address what can only be considered an assumption by the National Security Agency that public servants seeking classified positions in the White House have been vetted by a security clearance process.
There are several discussion aids:
- List of documents used in national security investigations
- Explanation of each Guideline which may include relative experiences by the author
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