Quote (Goomshill @ 14 Aug 2022 17:38)
So what's supposed to be the legal counterargument to the president having a constitutional plenary power of classification? There's no legal authority to challenge a president's methods or claims, he is the authority from which it derives. Not only could Trump have a standing order to declassify documents he takes, but just his actions themselves have implicit authorization. Prosecutors have no grounds to pursue a president for exercising his own authority under the constitution, nor can congress pass a law restricting it, nor can any executive branch guidance or formality restrict the power of the president from which it derives. So as far as I can tell, the only plausible case that could be brought against Trump would have to solely rest upon Joe Biden's authority as his successor. If Trump could claim files were declassified under his authority, Biden could claim files were classified under his authority. In effect, one president could condemn his predecessor by arbitrary decree, in the true stylings of ancient tyrants passing damnatio memoriae
Unless Biden does it, then you'd be calling for his head