First, as with everything he has ever done, he planned on making a buck or more off them with the leverage he might have. Leverage?
Second, somewhere in these documents is information which will expose him to criminal prosecution. All the more reason to hide it or flush it down a toilet.
Protection.
What we all must be aware of is a lot of Top Secret information has been gathered over the years with human intelligence. If a foreign power could gain access to this information they can reverse engineer it to learn how we got it. That could cost lives and destroy intelligence sources for the future.
It is important to remember that at a fundamental level FPOTUS is no different from a soldier who takes home and keeps night vision goggles or other government property issued to him. Those guys get prosecuted.
At least your grandfather and my father knew how to secure sensitive documents. Funny what you can learn at work. How many people in 45’s White House bothered to learn the basics? Who else has papers in their basements? And which of our enemies got copies already?
nah...no way is he ever gonna leave here. this is a guy in his seventies who freaks out about not being able to sleep in his own bed. and last time I looked, folks don't tend to get more flexible about shit as they approach their eighties.
I know we'll never know how many documents were in each box, but surmise that there was at least 1. As for motive, I guess it must be to do with money.
Weren't the Saudis in Bedminster just recently having a golf tournament or something?
It is time for all the other living former presidents — Carter, Bush, and Obama — to issue a joint statement that they clearly understood the law with respect to taking top-secret documents at the end of their respective terms, did not do so, would never have thought to do so, and that any assertion by Trump that he could simply declassify documents by waving a magic wand over them and pronouncing them declassified is absolute bullshit.
Even if he could wave his magic wand and declassify all the documents, he still can't steal them and sequester them in his unsecured residence. As mentioned above, this is all US government property. Since we know Trump doesn't read or care about national security, I don't think he took all these boxes of docs for light summer reading material.
Thank you Lucian for your informative newsletter giving us background and detail on these outrageous situations.
This painted orange deranged man took boxes and boxes of classified-top secret-etc. materials with him to his very public home. Then he’s asked for the remainder repeatedly even after some of it was removed, therefore making it impossible to act like ‘he didn’t know anything about it”.
What possible excuse does he have for having taken and then kept these materials when it’s simply and obviously against the law? We know he’ll lie and then lie again about his lie while he’s lying. It seems there is no legal justification for his theft - is there?
"Excuses, justifications, rationales, adherence to the rule of law, respect for the presidential oath and democratic norms by our great leader Donald J. Trump --- will you Trump-hating libs never stop your Witch Hunt?"
the thing about his lies are that they eventually (but in a relatively short time...usually days at the most) reveal the truth because he says too much and never thinks about consistency. plus there's that projection thing...usually the first accusation tells you exactly what he's guilty of.
A Pence aide just said she came across a top secret document in the ladies room at the White House and immediately turned it over to the Secret Service.
I don't know if highly remunerative fundraising, and wild rhetorical using the FBI and DOJ's attempt to bring Trump's reckless, feckless acts under the control of legal norms as campaign material is "squirming," though.
For one thing, this is already spurring massive rhetorical, and even at least one real , attack on the FBI, as well as fundraising by the GOP claiming the raid is a massive overreach, a complete abuse of their power, etc.
So they were hoping against hope they would not need to do this.
Once they realized that Trump didn't return everything last time, NARA and others have been trying to get the missing boxes back with polite requests and even, I believe, subpoenas. Didn't work. Whether a tipoff or other specific condition was involved in the timing I don't think we know yet.
As Lucian pointed out, these stolen documents were not intended for public display, not the trophies that TFG could boast about and be flattered by sycophants.
The documents were squirreled away, as a kind of insurance policy...against a criminal indictment? Or perhaps it was just another in a long line of grifts - sell our secrets to the highest bidder. Saudi Arabia, Iran, Russia - it almost doesn't matter who.
The Scene: The Trump Electric Chair Execution Chamber
Grim Newscaster: The guards have affixed the restraining cuffs to the prisoner and the switch is about to be thrown.
It is a somber moment here in New York's Sing Sing Prison, where the electric chair that was used to execute the Rosenbergs, sent to their deaths through the efforts of Trump mentor Roy Cohn, has been brought back from retirement for this solemn occasion, as America executes a former President for Espionage, for the first time in history.
There, they have done it. The prisoner is writhing in agony! There are flames shooting out from his posterior! Wait a minute, there is fire! Guards are scrambling to extinguish the fire with fire extinguishers! It appears that the adipose tissue from the prisoner’s posterior is so enormous that it has sparked an uncontrolled grease fire! Ladies and Gentlemen this is unprecedented in the history of executions! Under the law, if the prisoner survives a full minute of the would-be fatal shocks, he is automatically pardoned!
Former President Donald J. Trump has survived the electric chair! He is alive, and is a free man! They’ll never touch him now!
He took the material for two fundamental reasons.
First, as with everything he has ever done, he planned on making a buck or more off them with the leverage he might have. Leverage?
Second, somewhere in these documents is information which will expose him to criminal prosecution. All the more reason to hide it or flush it down a toilet.
Protection.
What we all must be aware of is a lot of Top Secret information has been gathered over the years with human intelligence. If a foreign power could gain access to this information they can reverse engineer it to learn how we got it. That could cost lives and destroy intelligence sources for the future.
It is important to remember that at a fundamental level FPOTUS is no different from a soldier who takes home and keeps night vision goggles or other government property issued to him. Those guys get prosecuted.
Don't forget the old axiom, the rich are different.
At least your grandfather and my father knew how to secure sensitive documents. Funny what you can learn at work. How many people in 45’s White House bothered to learn the basics? Who else has papers in their basements? And which of our enemies got copies already?
Remember, Former had no interest in governance or learning how to govern.
It sounds to me as if the files are a ticket in to a friendly county with no pesky extradition treaty.
Golf sucks in Russia...
nah...no way is he ever gonna leave here. this is a guy in his seventies who freaks out about not being able to sleep in his own bed. and last time I looked, folks don't tend to get more flexible about shit as they approach their eighties.
I know we'll never know how many documents were in each box, but surmise that there was at least 1. As for motive, I guess it must be to do with money.
Weren't the Saudis in Bedminster just recently having a golf tournament or something?
Funny that happened, isn't it?
It is time for all the other living former presidents — Carter, Bush, and Obama — to issue a joint statement that they clearly understood the law with respect to taking top-secret documents at the end of their respective terms, did not do so, would never have thought to do so, and that any assertion by Trump that he could simply declassify documents by waving a magic wand over them and pronouncing them declassified is absolute bullshit.
Sounds good. But if the intended audience is who I suspect, they could care less.
Even if he could wave his magic wand and declassify all the documents, he still can't steal them and sequester them in his unsecured residence. As mentioned above, this is all US government property. Since we know Trump doesn't read or care about national security, I don't think he took all these boxes of docs for light summer reading material.
Thank you Lucian for your informative newsletter giving us background and detail on these outrageous situations.
This painted orange deranged man took boxes and boxes of classified-top secret-etc. materials with him to his very public home. Then he’s asked for the remainder repeatedly even after some of it was removed, therefore making it impossible to act like ‘he didn’t know anything about it”.
What possible excuse does he have for having taken and then kept these materials when it’s simply and obviously against the law? We know he’ll lie and then lie again about his lie while he’s lying. It seems there is no legal justification for his theft - is there?
He will lie and lie and lie and his worshipers will continue to believe every word he says.
"Excuses, justifications, rationales, adherence to the rule of law, respect for the presidential oath and democratic norms by our great leader Donald J. Trump --- will you Trump-hating libs never stop your Witch Hunt?"
(Signed) Power-mad GOP politicos
the thing about his lies are that they eventually (but in a relatively short time...usually days at the most) reveal the truth because he says too much and never thinks about consistency. plus there's that projection thing...usually the first accusation tells you exactly what he's guilty of.
You've noticed too, huh? Quite an established pattern now isn't it.
A Pence aide just said she came across a top secret document in the ladies room at the White House and immediately turned it over to the Secret Service.
HOLY SHIT!!!!
Classified TP?
It’s getting better by the minute
So hard to keep up with you! Thanks, I especially like seeing the Trumpublican party enablers squirming away......
I don't know if highly remunerative fundraising, and wild rhetorical using the FBI and DOJ's attempt to bring Trump's reckless, feckless acts under the control of legal norms as campaign material is "squirming," though.
Seems like we are some distance from that.
Well taken.
Why did he take the documents? Did he share them with Putin ? Getting weird....
Power. Control. Pretending that he is a King.
holding my beer! Also wondering why nothing like this happened sooner
For one thing, this is already spurring massive rhetorical, and even at least one real , attack on the FBI, as well as fundraising by the GOP claiming the raid is a massive overreach, a complete abuse of their power, etc.
So they were hoping against hope they would not need to do this.
Once they realized that Trump didn't return everything last time, NARA and others have been trying to get the missing boxes back with polite requests and even, I believe, subpoenas. Didn't work. Whether a tipoff or other specific condition was involved in the timing I don't think we know yet.
Bless you, Lucian, for taking this on.
As Lucian pointed out, these stolen documents were not intended for public display, not the trophies that TFG could boast about and be flattered by sycophants.
The documents were squirreled away, as a kind of insurance policy...against a criminal indictment? Or perhaps it was just another in a long line of grifts - sell our secrets to the highest bidder. Saudi Arabia, Iran, Russia - it almost doesn't matter who.
Thanks for the hard work! But tell the truth Lucian, your coat closet is super secure!
No kidding. Ruby's on duty!
The Scene: The Trump Electric Chair Execution Chamber
Grim Newscaster: The guards have affixed the restraining cuffs to the prisoner and the switch is about to be thrown.
It is a somber moment here in New York's Sing Sing Prison, where the electric chair that was used to execute the Rosenbergs, sent to their deaths through the efforts of Trump mentor Roy Cohn, has been brought back from retirement for this solemn occasion, as America executes a former President for Espionage, for the first time in history.
There, they have done it. The prisoner is writhing in agony! There are flames shooting out from his posterior! Wait a minute, there is fire! Guards are scrambling to extinguish the fire with fire extinguishers! It appears that the adipose tissue from the prisoner’s posterior is so enormous that it has sparked an uncontrolled grease fire! Ladies and Gentlemen this is unprecedented in the history of executions! Under the law, if the prisoner survives a full minute of the would-be fatal shocks, he is automatically pardoned!
Former President Donald J. Trump has survived the electric chair! He is alive, and is a free man! They’ll never touch him now!
MAGA Nation Arise!
Trump 2024!
The Horror...