In an interview with Megyn Kelly, Trump said that he had a right to both have and take classified and unclassified documents.
Trump said, “We have a deranged guy named Jack Smith who has been overturned at the Supreme Court a number of times, and he gets overturned. Do you know why he gets overturned? Because he goes too far. They don’t even mention the Presidential Records Act. This is all about the Presidential Records Act. I’m allowed to have these documents. I’m allowed to take these documents classified or unclassified. Frankly, When I have them, they become unclassified. People think you have to go through a ritual. You don’t, at least in my opinion.”
Video:
Trump on taking classified documents: “I’m allowed to have these documents. I’m allowed to take these documents…When I have them, they become unclassified. People think you have to go through a ritual. You don’t, at least in my opinion.” pic.twitter.com/IAkdGsGnWo
— Republican Accountability (@AccountableGOP) September 14, 2023
Trump continues to pathologically lie about the Presidential Records Act. The Presidential Records Act puts restrictions on what presidents can do with documents and mandates that they must be maintained and turned over to the government. The Presidential Records Act does not give any president the legal right to take or keep any government documents.
In his answer, Trump confessed to taking government and classified documents.
The second part of Trump’s confession was equally damning.
The former president admitted that he did not follow declassification procedures as required by law. What Trump referred to as a ritual was the legal process for declassifying documents. Trump admitted to Kelly that he didn’t follow the proper procedures for declassification.
Donald Trump gift-wrapped a confession to Jack Smith, as he has forgotten that anything he says can and will be used against him in a court of law.
