In a self-own that would make Ted Cruz green with envy, pro-Trump ally John Solomon published what he claims are “damaging” documents that would prove that Joe Biden “worked to instigate” the FBI search of Mar-a-Lago. Instead, the documents published by Solomon showed that Biden stayed completely out of the process and deferred judgment to the National Archives and Department of Justice. In fact, the only thing that was damaging in the whole thing was a letter warning Trump that he had possession of highly classified materials that the federal government needed to secure and assess for matters of national security. So… whoops?
Via Just the News:
As the Department of Justice’s National Security Division explained to you on April 29, 2022: There are important national security interests in the FBI and others in the Intelligence Community getting access to these materials. According to NARA, among the materials in the boxes are over 100 documents with classification markings, comprising more than 700 pages. Some include the highest levels of classification, including Special Access Program (SAP) materials. Access to the materials is not only necessary for purposes of our ongoing criminal investigation, but the Executive Branch must also conduct an assessment of the potential damage resulting from the apparent manner in which these materials were stored and transported and take any necessary remedial steps.
As Mediaite reports, political journalists are stunned at how Solomon thought any of this would exonerate Trump. “Amazing own goal by Team Trump,” tweeted Lachlan Markay of Axios. “They released this letter thinking it’d show political meddling by Biden. In fact, it shows the opposite.”
https://twitter.com/lachlan/status/1562069574941659137
“Ironically, Trump’s media guy shows how NARA was bending over backwards for Trump before it finally gave the FBI access to the classified records,” wrote Bradley P. Moss.
Ironically, Trump’s media guy shows how NARA was bending over backwards for Trump before it finally gave the FBI access to the classified records.
Full text of National Archives letter to Trump on classified documents https://t.co/DYfbBjDA90 via @JustTheNews
— Bradley P. Moss (@BradMossEsq) August 23, 2022
Maggie Haberman of The New York Times noted that, most damagingly, the documents shut down Trump’s defense that he was allowed to have the documents because of executive privilege.
“NARA letter also confirms that Trump team was delaying the process, and given extensions,” Haberman tweeted. “And it makes clear that there’s no presidential privilege in a case like this.”
NARA letter also confirms that Trump team was delaying the process, and given extensions. And it makes clear that there's no presidential privilege in a case like this https://t.co/ZaFDNPD5Bg
— Maggie Haberman (@maggieNYT) August 23, 2022
The good news is at least Trump’s own son-in-law didn’t go to Fox & Friends and try to distance himself from the documents scandal. Except, no wait, that’s exactly what Jared Kushner did. Is all of this bad? It seems bad.
(Via Mediaite)