Everything We Know About The President's Book Of Secrets
Spymaster George Washington May Have Started The Tradition
Photo: Lawrence Jackson / Wikimedia Commons / Public DomainIf the book of secrets does exist, some argue it may date all the way back to George Washington, the first president. Washington wasn't a stranger to secrets. During the Revolutionary War, the general operated a spy network known as the Culper Spy Ring.
For five years, Culper Ring spies provided detailed information on British troop activity by infiltrating British headquarters in New York City. The spies used code names, like 711 for Washington, 745 for England, and 727 for New York, to cover their work. If George Washington did leave a book of secrets for his successor, John Adams, perhaps the first chapter included information on his spy network.
The 'Book of Secrets' Might Just Be A Metaphor For The President's Regular Security Briefings
Photo: PublicAffairsIn 2017 former CIA intelligence briefer David Priess wrote a book called The President's Book of Secrets. Priess brought years of firsthand intelligence experience to his book after serving presidents Bill Clinton and George W. Bush. In fact, Priess was responsible for writing both presidents' daily briefs, the rundown of top-secret intelligence for the president.
In the book, Priess argues these daily briefings, which date back to 1961, comprise the "book of secrets" for presidents. While the briefings contain classified intelligence and analysis, they almost certainly don't include the conspiracy theory fodder.
Presidents Receive Secrets In Different Ways
Photo: Pete Souza / Wikimedia Commons / Public DomainThe existence of the President's Daily Brief is a fact, even if the book of secrets might be fiction. Each president chooses how to receive these classified briefings. Ford and both Bushes preferred in-person briefings, while other modern presidents elected to read intelligence reports. In 2012 Obama started obtaining his daily briefs on a secure iPad.
The new technology allowed intelligence analysts to include interactive graphics as well as audio and video clips in the briefing.
The Library Of Congress Denies The Book Of Secrets Exists
Photo: Javier Losa / Wikimedia Commons / CC BY 2.0According to one theory, the book of secrets remains hidden in the Library of Congress, which is the biggest library in the world. That theory proposes only the president and the Librarian of Congress know the book's location, so in case of an assassination, the librarian can pass on the secrets for the next president.
In 2008 the Library of Congress hosted an exhibit displaying the book of secrets movie prop from National Treasure: Book of Secrets next to a replica of John Wilkes Booth's diary. The Library of Congress emphasized that the book of secrets does not exist (or, at least, not in the LOC collection) by noting, "unlike the 'Book of Secrets,' a Booth diary actually existed."
Conspiracy Theorists Claim The Book Contains Fantastical Secrets
Photo: Ollie Atkins / Wikimedia Commons / Public DomainConspiracy theories about the book of secrets claim presidents have filled the pages with detailed notes collecting all the government's hidden knowledge. For example, the missing Watergate tapes allegedly transcribed in the book reveal President Nixon admitting the government was holding aliens at an Iowa military base. The Hoover Dam possibly contains a stockpile of Spam in case of nuclear war. The book even reportedly contains evidence of time travel, as one theory proposes the mysterious object discovered on the moon in the 1970s was an iPhone.
The claims are sensational and mostly rely on the fact that no one has produced an actual book of secrets to disprove the theories.
President Obama Admitted The Book Was Real During His First Year In Office
Photo: Pete Souza / Wikimedia Commons / Public DomainAfter six months in office, President Obama confessed he'd seen the book of secrets. During an interview with talk radio host Michael Smerconish, Obama simply replied, "I have," when asked if he had seen the book. Smerconish was asking on behalf of his sons, who had seen the National Treasure sequel named after the book.
The president followed up this admission with a joke, adding, "I would tell you, but I'd have to kill you," when asked about specific secrets it revealed. The exchange might have been a lighthearted joke, but conspiracy theorists read it as Obama using humor to distract from a genuine slip-up.
The President Has A Secret Handbook Of Nuclear Contingency Plans
Photo: Smithsonian Institute / Wikimedia Commons / Public DomainIn 2008 President-elect Obama confided that the "deep secrets" he learned after winning the election were chilling. "I'm inheriting a world that could blow up any minute in half a dozen ways," Obama allegedly told an adviser, according to The Washington Post. "I will have some powerful but limited and perhaps even dubious tools to keep it from happening."
One of those tools is known as the "nuclear football," the briefcase that contains authentication codes to launch a nuclear weapon. That briefcase is handled by a military aide who accompanies the president whenever they travel. The football also includes the Presidential Decision Handbook, a top-secret document with plans for deploying nuclear weapons against different enemies and in different situations.
The Book Of Secrets Might Reveal Government Knowledge Of Extraterrestrials
Photo: Roswell Daily Record / Wikimedia Commons / Public DomainWhat's the most prominent conspiracy contained in the book of secrets, if it exists? Many contend the top of the list has to involve aliens. After all, the government explained away the unidentified flying object found in Roswell in 1947 as a weather balloon, but many doubted the story.
If the book exists, it almost certainly lists secrets about Area 51, the mysterious Air Force base in Nevada. Of course, skeptics point out the government likely couldn't cover up such explosive information for decades.
Trump Saw The Government's 'Deep Secrets' In December 2016
Photo: Shealah Craighead / Wikimedia Commons / Public DomainIn December 2016 President Obama again confirmed the existence of secret documents only seen by the president when he said President-elect Trump was about to see "our deep secrets." Incoming presidents receive classified briefings that detail covert CIA actions as well as nuclear contingency plans.
There are pages of reports that break down nuclear strikes against different targets, some with casualty estimates that top 100 million.
The Book Of Secrets Isn't Exactly A Secret, According To A Nicolas Cage Movie
Photo: Walt Disney Pictures / Wikimedia CommonsThe 2007 Nicolas Cage movie National Treasure: Book of Secrets claimed the book contained secrets ranging from the truth behind the JFK assassination to what's hidden in Area 51. Many conspiracy theorists argue the book provides even more secret information, like one theory claiming the Lincoln Memorial is made from solid gold, with a coating of white paint to hide the treasure.
If the national debt grows too large, this theory proposes, the memorial could be melted down to eliminate it.
Presidents Allegedly Leave Secret Notes For Each Other In The Oval Office
Photo: Harold Sellers / Wikimedia Commons / Public DomainThe book of secrets might not be the only way presidents send each other messages. According to author Brad Meltzer, they also hide notes in the Oval Office. President Reagan reportedly left a message that read, "Don't let the turkeys get you down," for his successor and vice president, George H.W. Bush.
The tradition also crosses partisan lines, with Bush leaving a note for Clinton, who in turn left one for his successor.
The Location Of The Book Of Secrets Allegedly Changes
Photo: Pete Souza / Wikimedia Commons / Public DomainSome believe the location of the book of secrets changes each time a new president comes to office. According to this theory, White House officials anonymously confirmed President Obama kept the book in a secret compartment hidden in an Abraham Lincoln statue in the White House.
However, with little confirmation that a single book handed down since Washington's presidency exists, the report may not be accurate.
The Book Could Hold The Truth About JFK's Assassination
Photo: Victor Hugo King / Wikimedia Commons / Public DomainIs the government hiding secrets about the assassination of President John F. Kennedy? A 2013 poll found 62% of Americans don't believe Lee Harvey Oswald acted alone, down from 80% in 1983. With so many competing conspiracy theories about the assassination and so much doubt around the official explanation that a lone gunman killed the president, those who believe in the book of secrets suspect it contains the truth about JFK.
