This is incorrect.
The president does not have a security clearance. The only vetting he gets is through the media and through the nomination process of his party. He never fills out a SF 86 form or undergoes a DISCO investigation.
The security clearance system (Unclassified, Confidential, Secret, Top Secret) is a construct of the Executive branch of government and the president is the head of the executive branch. He (and the vice president) are considered to have the top, or "need to know" clearance merely by virtue of having been voted into office by the voters. So, the only person who has "the same security clearance as the president" is the vice president.
The "Q" security clearance exists solely within the Department of Energy, and pertains primarily to nuclear or atomic information. The Department of Energy's "Q" clearance is equivalent to the "Top Secret" clearance elsewhere in the executive branch.
Many people, within the Department of Energy, hold a "Q" level security clearance.
Obama didn't get a security clearance. All other presidents had to be vetted. To be honest I don't know how they handled that.
said, "Many people, within the Department of Energy, hold a "Q" level security clearance."
Q represents anyone one between 1 through 28. We think Q has Q17 the same as the president because he has demonstrated that he is likely reading the presidents Emails. It is questionable if he has the same Q clearance level as the president though.
Yes, Q is often used in the Department of Energy. Which handles our nuclear weapons.
http://www.department5.org/security-clearance-organizational-chart.php