Security clearances don’t determine whom a president can trust – they reveal risks the president may not know
A report that one of Trump’s aides went a year without routine vetting raises a question a former CIA executive knows well: What is that process for?
The story of Natalie Harp, one of President Donald Trump's closest aides, reveals that security clearances do not solely determine who a president can trust. Instead, they illuminate potential risks that a president may be unaware of. Harp worked in the White House for over a year without completing the standard security clearance process, according to an MS Now report.
This ambiguity highlights the tension between the need for quick access in new presidential administrations and the time-consuming nature of the government's security-vetting system.
The clearance process involves a comprehensive background investigation, which includes a lengthy questionnaire, additional scrutiny, and interviews with various contacts. However, the process can take months, sometimes even exceeding six months, as reported in the MS Now article. Despite efforts to expedite the clearance process, it remains a lengthy and intricate procedure, often taking considerably longer than initially anticipated.
The investigation aims not only to measure a person's loyalty to the United States but also to identify vulnerabilities that could make someone susceptible to pressure, coercion, or exploitation. A person's foreign contacts, financial difficulties, criminal history, and other personal circumstances are all considered during the investigation. The clearance process evaluates the information provided by the individual and their circumstances comprehensively. However, investigators cannot assess what they do not know.
A president may have complete confidence in an aide's loyalty and discretion, and that trust is theirs to grant. The investigator's role, however, is to determine if there is relevant information about the individual that the president is unaware of. The issue of an uncompleted investigation extends beyond whether someone improperly accessed classified information. For those operating within the president's immediate circle, such vulnerabilities can have significant consequences.
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