People will probably not like this, but it doesn't matter if someone has a clearance or not if they are storing classified documents at their house - where they are able to be viewed by uncleared people. He could get away with that as POTUS because he had absolute classification/declassification authority. As an ex-president he does not enjoy that. If I left a TS/SCI doc on top of a safe - even in a SCIF - I would be hammered. At a minimum I would lose my clearance. I would probably lose my money, job, and freedom as well.

I happen to believe those docs were declassified by Trump, but NARA says Biden reclassified them. If indeed Trump still had his Q clearance, but not his TS, that would possibly help him with any DoE docs, but not DoD docs. BTW - I don't buy that they removed one but didn't notice the other. The clearances are right there on his data record side-by-side. That isn't something that could even be missed. Note - while I say "the clearances" I am dumbing it down a little because they never even had clearances to take away - just unfettered access.

Personally I don't believe this POTUS can reclassify a former POTUS' presidential docs. Also the fact that Biden instructed Trump's access to be removed is a massive political blunder and SCOTUS won't let that slide. Anyone that looks at the complete picture realizes all of this corruption by Biden had to be done in a specific way for them to have any chance at "getting Trump". Where they had problems they improvised, and ended up with fake document spreads with classified document cover-sheets placed strategically to make people think Trump left SCI all over the floor. Their plan is completely falling apart, but with stupid political and legal games it will still drag on for months until it fails.

I just want you guys to realize - clearances are not rare or special. They are a tool that is required to do many jobs. In the last known count of clearances (2019) there were about 1.2 million active Top Secret clearances and almost 100,000 active Q clearances. While it looks like Q clearances are rare compared to Top Secret, understand that there are only around 110,000 employees and contractors at the DoE. Not rare at all.

I think this will ultimately be completely dropped. Presidents don't really have clearances - they are the clearance (meaning they classify/declassify everything by virtue of their positions). Therein lies the real problem - what happens when they leave. They no longer have that authority, but the laws still say they can have their documents. Biden, by going after Trump and attempting to remove his access just brought a huge issue to light that will have to be dealt with, because any jackass can go after their political enemies the exact same way. I wish it meant they will eventually lock Biden up, but I think they are way more likely to cover all of it up - on both sides.

My solution is once you become an ex-POTUS your unfettered access should be documented in DISS or Scattered Castles (govt systems) with no expiration date. The access can then be removed (with due process) for any criminal activity but not by corruption from a current POTUS.

Welcome to today - same as yesterday and it will be the same tomorrow.