I mean your headline, that past presidents receive the PDB. That's the most interesting part of the discussion; where did you get that information?
There is no absolute rule/line that says they do get it; there are stories and sidenotes that make it clear that this is done, though. First, the President has Top Secret clearance, that is not revoked automatically upon their departure from the office. The incoming President can revoke their Top Secret status, but nobody has. It's useful to have past Presidents close by for advice and consultation on issues they are particularly well-versed in, so maintaining their Top Secret clearance is normal. Second, anyone with Top Secret clearance can request a debrief from the CIA, whenever they want. The CIA produces the PDB, and the same individuals who produce and present the PDB content are the ones that would debrief the Top Secret clearance holder who made the request. Third, people like George HW Bush was said to get it every day, and "read it religiously". Now he was also head of the CIA prior to becoming President, so this was His Thang. So naturally he kept his mind busy with the thing he was passionate about. Fourth, is has been noted that other Presidents - like Bush 43 - never asked for it, after leaving office. This mention alone indicates there is some expectation that it is normal for a past President to request briefings. Fifth, there was some uproar over Obama getting debriefs after he left office that let a bit of the unspoken gentlemen's agreement between past Presidents out into the light. Trump lied about it to cover the fact Obama still has access to this data/analysis, but it doesn't change the fact that Obama still had access to this information after he left office. (I expect Trump lied about this to cover his own ass, and nefarious intents for what he plans to do with the information once he is out of office.) So, in short, my title might have been more precisely accurate if I'd gone with something like: "Past Presidents retain their Top Secret clearance after leaving office, unless it is revoked by the incoming President, and as an individual with Top Secret clearance they have the right to request either the PDB or a debrief by the CIA officers who create the PDB, however this right has not always been exercised by past Presidents." (This CIA analysis of the PDB is a pretty good source for how it is created and given to the President. But it does not go into how the document is shared with anyone BUT the President.)
"Security clearances are not mandated for the President, Vice President, Members of Congress, Supreme Court Justices, or other constitutional officers." Source: Congressional Research Service Security Clearance Process: Answers to Frequently Asked Questions Can you provide a source for this information? More than a million people hold a TS. Source: Office of Management and Budget, 2014 Suitability and Security Security Processes Review (Table 1) "The PDB is produced by the director of national intelligence" Source: wikipedia stuff Is John Ratcliffe on call to debrief any of these million TS holders on request? Source: Destiny and Power: The American Odyssey of George Herbert Walker Bush This passage is mentioned in the discussion page of the Wikipedia article when the statement "Former Presidents are entitled to receive the PDB" was removed for lack of evidence in March 2013. One could speculate just as easily that he didn't request it because he didn't expect to receive the PDB after leaving office. Without a source, we have no way to judge. The New Yorker, source for the Newsweek article, claims that "some of Trump’s most fervent supporters in the White House" and "some of the new President’s advisers" suggested revoking security clearances of former president Obama and his officials to prevent "access to intelligence briefings that were made available to all of his living predecessors." I see no evidence that these briefings are the same as the PDB, or that they are available to anyone with Top Secret clearance who requests them. I think a responsible title would be "Former presidents can get intelligence briefings." Anyone can request whatever they want, but I don't see any way to even request access to the PDB. Sorry for the aggressive fact-checking, but I think these days concern for truth is more important than ever. As the CIA says in a source available to all, "Verify. Verify. Verify."First, the President has Top Secret clearance
Second, anyone with Top Secret clearance can request a debrief from the CIA
The CIA produces the PDB, and the same individuals who produce and present the PDB content are the ones that would debrief the Top Secret clearance holder who made the request.
Third, people like George HW Bush was said to get it every day
Bush inhaled the daily CIA briefings sent to former presidents, and he remained addicted to the news, following it while restricting his commentary to close friends.
Fourth, is has been noted that other Presidents - like Bush 43 - never asked for it, after leaving office. This mention alone indicates there is some expectation that it is normal for a past President to request briefings.
Fifth, there was some uproar over Obama getting debriefs after he left office
It doesn't seem that they do get the PDB. https://politics.stackexchange.com/questions/49581/do-former-us-presidents-have-the-right-to-receive-daily-cia-briefings Apparently they can request classified material, but I couldn't find evidence that they get the PDB, only that they don't.