It's not an argument. It's a fact. Anything Trump took with him was declassified, as only a president can do unilaterally.
A president who would exact a blanket declassification regime without implementing memorialization protocols is derelict, and treasonous, in my view.
Here are some pertinent facts you are ignoring:
1.
The charge of espionage does not depend on any classification regime.
2. If convicted, DNI damage assessments will have more relevance.
3. Trump declared he 'declassified' while he was a private citizen, which he has no right to do. If it were true, he'd have to prove it, and since did not follow any memorialization protocol as all presidents before him, especially Barr, Meadows, and Bolton, those who were closest to him, denied his doing it.
4. The FBI inventory list recorded on nuke docs (RD/FRD/TSNI), which cannot be declassified by the president without oversight/coordination from the classifying origination point/classification authority (per the AEA) and there was at least one document classified as FRD.
But, item #3- is of little consequence per #1.
The only reason Trump never made a big show of declassifying everything, before the Biden Adm hatched this document scheme, was nobody ever had to deal with a criminal in the White House trying to eliminate his primary political opponent using the courts before.
Joe Biden does not direct, nor influence, nor control, the actions of the DOJ. Nor do you have any proof of such. Given the voluminous record of Trump's crimes, for which there is substantial probable cause, no motivation of 'politics' can be ascribed. Criminals, candidates or not, must be treated like any other criminal. That they happen to be members of the opposing party is, therefore, and
incidental and inadvertent fact.
Every document Trump had was a copy of documents that were already in the archives, except gifts Trump collected during his presidency and newspaper clippings.
Your claim has no merit for the following reasons:
- Classification and National Security: Many of the documents found at Trump's Mar-a-Lago residence were classified at various levels, including top secret and sensitive compartmented information (SCI). Classified documents, regardless of whether copies exist elsewhere, are subject to strict government control and handling procedures to safeguard national security. The mere possession of these documents in an unauthorized location, like a personal residence, can represent a significant breach of national security protocols.
- Presidential Records Act: This law mandates that all presidential records must be preserved and turned over to the Archivist of the United States at the end of a president's term. The records are not personal property and cannot be legally retained by the former president. This includes not only documents produced by the president or his staff but also those received during his tenure. Thus, even if some materials were gifts, they might still fall under the scope of this act if they pertain to his duties as president.
- No Distinction for Copies: The claim that all retained documents were merely copies does not alleviate potential legal issues. Both original documents and their copies can be considered classified or fall under the Presidential Records Act if they were created or used during the president's term. The nature of a document as a "copy" does not change its classification status or its importance to national security or historical record.
- The Handling and Storage of Classified Materials: The manner in which these documents were stored—reportedly in boxes in various rooms and spaces within Mar-a-Lago—raises serious concerns about adherence to protocols that dictate the secure handling and storage of classified materials. Proper storage involves specific conditions to prevent unauthorized access, which were not met in this scenario.
- Espionage: The charge of espionage does not depend on any classification regime.
This is Banana Republic type actions.
So says a banana republican, how quaint.
I suggest that after the next election that everyone in the prior administration be taken out back and shot like they do in 3rd World countries.
That's consistent with banana republicanism, cute. You condemn it, then you become it. Brilliant. Did this occur to you all by yourself, or did your puppet masters assist you on this epiphanic moment of stable geniusness?
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