Napolitano — Just Because Something Has Been Declassified Doesn't Mean You'll See It

Fox News legal analyst Andrew Napolitano warned that some of the documents President Trump decided on Monday to have declassified may not be seen by the public.Show more

"Just because something is no longer classified doesn't mean it's public," Napolitano said on air. He listed some examples of information that might preclude the American people from viewing it, including if it was "presented to a grand jury, if it shows the government's impressions of how to approach a criminal case, if it's about an ongoing criminal investigation that's still going on, if it would reveal the identity or methods involvement of confidential sources."

In a statement Monday evening, the Justice Department suggested that the declassification effort, which will involve multiple agencies, will take some time.

"When the President issues such an order, it triggers a declassification review process that is conducted by various agencies within the intelligence community, in conjunction with the White House Counsel, to seek to ensure the safety of America's national security interests. The Department and the Federal Bureau of Investigation are already working with the Director of National Intelligence to comply with the President's order," a DOJ spokeperson said.