Posted on 06/20/2023 10:02:12 AM PDT by SeekAndFind
If former president Donald Trump’s case ever makes it to court, federal prosecutors will use his own words against him — spoken on national TV to Fox News host Bret Baier on Monday. I’m not a lawyer. I don’t even play one on internet video. So when it comes to stories like this one, there are a few people I turn to for sharp analysis and good advice.
On the surface at least, what Trump said could cause him trouble in court.
When Baier asked, “Why not just hand [the documents] over then?” Trump replied, “Because I had boxes — I wanted to go through the boxes and get all my personal things out. I don’t want to hand that over to NARA yet. And I was very busy, as you’ve sort of seen.”
“These boxes were interspersed with all sorts of [personal] things.”
You can read more of the transcript here and decide for yourself.
I’m not here to pass judgment on the many indictments against Trump… except that I can’t let the opportunity entirely go. If we’re going to start prosecuting high-level executive branch people for keeping classified documents they shouldn’t have had, let’s start with Hillary Clinton and Joe Biden, neither of whom, as secretary of state or (then) as vice president, had any legal power to declassify those documents. Trump did, which is maybe a strong mitigating factor.
That out of the way, it’s both easy and proper to dismiss Twitter hot takes like this one from Erick Erickson:
Guys, Trump admitted on TV tonight he withheld documents from the grand jury. Game over, legally. What an idiot.
— Erick Erickson (@EWErickson) June 20, 2023
(Excerpt) Read more at pjmedia.com ...
Trump didn’t admit to anything on that edited tape.
Btw - while you’re here shilling could you contribute to FreeRepublic so you can keep your job? K-thx.
https://freerepublic.com/donate/
I already read that decision, and it doesn’t say what you think it does. Essentially, the case involved Judicial Watch trying to force NARA to recover the tapes from Clinton after they refused to do so. The court held that the statute did not allow the court to do that, and so the case was dismissed. In the opinion, the court did note that while NARA did not make the decision to classify the tapes as personal, NARA did say that if forced to make that determination, they would have agreed with Clinton. The case did NOT say anything the President takes with him as he leaves office becomes his personal property. It does not even say that the decision by the president to classify something as personal cannot be judicially reviewed. It just says the court cannot force NARA to pursue that course of action if it chooses not to.
That is a common, valid lament even from Trump supporters. It is his Achilles' heel.
Either he is authorized to have them, or he is not. Referencing timelines for returning any of it is a red-herring in an attempt to make him look guilty of something. Critical thinking is needed here. Don’t be a dupe for the corrupt administrative state’s propaganda.
Trump has nothing to hide. He listens to questions and answers them.
Yeah - that’s how Trump has been convicted before…
Genetic fallacy.
Well, he did himself no favors.
And President Trump is going to get to make that case.
What’s the law got to do with it?
Trump’s not taking the case seriously and I can’t blame him.
So what if Trump gets convicted?
A Trump conviction will be weighed against the Biden non-convictions.
This is a political prosecution intended to keep Trump’s name off the 2024 ballot.
That is the end game although the hard core Marxists have wet dreams of Trump being incarcerated.
Trump can’t reclassify something years after leaving the presidency because he said he had some “secret” papers.
Whether he did or not is not the question, the problem is what every Attorney tells their clients, SHUT UP, don’t talk about the case because anything you say can be used against you.
One of the reasons Trump has a hard time getting great lawyers is he ignores their advice and keeps talking, this time he might have screwed himself, time will tell.
The Grand Jury has no superior authority and can't compel him to 'testify against himself' or provide ammo for a fishing expedition.
And Hunter gets to walk free.
Go Trump, say anything.
F Ed Morrisey. I despise GOPe shills who like to help RATs.
I think you are missing the point. He willingly withheld documents that were subject to a subpoena. At least that’s what he said.
That charge has zero to do with classification or security. It is de facto obstruction. He really needs to change the subject when this stuff comes up.
Will the Kraken finally be unleashed then?
Didnt NARA force him to take the docs from the WH? So Trump could assume they were his possessions? Then if theyre not of much priority , he didnt bother to look through them? Then NARA asks for them back and he says- I need to look for personal stuff before I send them over? Sounds very nafarious.
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