Inside Trump's chamber of secrets

[Yo_Mama_Been_Loggin]

National security being what it is, we may never know the exact contents of the documents that FBI agents carried out of Mar-a-Lago this week. But we can already see what Donald Trump’s defense will be.

These documents can’t be classified, Trump and his allies are saying, because he unilaterally declassified them at some point, even if the feds still say they’re classified. It’s like he carries around a magic declassification wand. He’s Harry Potter in the House of Treason.

Let’s get a few things straight. If you’re president, as I understand it, you do have the right to declassify whatever documents you want. But there’s a process for doing so. You’re supposed to submit those documents to the appropriate agencies for review, and then they must be formally categorized as declassified.

This should go without saying, but since we’re not exactly killing it on basic civics these days, let me add that former presidents can’t declassify anything. That would be like Bill Clinton trying to retroactively issue a pardon.

https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/2022/08/13/trump-mar-a-lago-classified-documents/

Guess it's the sign of a true believer when one goes so such levels of absurdity to defend one's actions.

[usonian]

1. The classification is frosting on the cake.

Please see:
https://www.democraticunderground.com/100217039393
Trump's defense after espionage investigation 'will fail': former US attorney

https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/politics/trump-s-defense-after-espionage-investigation-will-fail-former-us-attorney/ar-AA10CuDu?ocid=U483DHP&pc=U483&cvid=d85ca19dae6141a5b9de15914d1daeee

"No, this defense will fail because the three laws that they selected to put on the search warrant don't require that the documents be classified,"

In other words, grand theft is grand theft, whether a Civic or a jumbo jet. (My analogy)

[Merlot]

2. Even if they were declassified they are still gov't property

Should have been returned at the end of his term. The whole classified/declassified issue is TFG's way of muddying the waters, and of course the media is buying into it.

[Bayard]

3. Experts on MSNBC last night

Were saying, if he had declassified them, they would have been marked as such, and the TS stuff crossed out. And there's a whole process that has to be done.