It’s all political theater. The investigation is a witch hunt. The legal justification for the raid on Mar-a-Lago is arguably illegal and unconstitutional. But there’s another special counsel probe nonetheless that could indict Donald Trump on the classified materials controversy. There were no nuclear secrets on the coffee table. If anything, there were mementos from Trump’s time in the White House, far from the state secrets Joe Biden left all over his Delaware residence and other locations. The former president’s legal recently wanted to meet with Attorney General Merrick Garland about the investigation, which isn’t the best news. Maybe this is why: Trump was caught on tape talking about the materials he left with after his term in office (via CNN):
Federal prosecutors have obtained an audio recording of a summer 2021 meeting in which former President Donald Trump acknowledges he held onto a classified Pentagon document about a potential attack on Iran, multiple sources told CNN, undercutting his argument that he declassified everything.
The recording indicates Trump understood he retained classified material after leaving the White House, according to multiple sources familiar with the investigation. On the recording, Trump’s comments suggest he would like to share the information but he’s aware of limitations on his ability post-presidency to declassify records, two of the sources said.
CNN has not listened to the recording, but multiple sources described it. One source said the relevant portion on the Iran document is about two minutes long, and another source said the discussion is a small part of a much longer meeting.
Special counsel Jack Smith, who is leading the Justice Department investigation into Trump, has focused on the meeting as part of the criminal investigation into Trump’s handling of national security secrets. Sources describe the recording as an “important” piece of evidence in a possible case against Trump, who has repeatedly asserted he could retain presidential records and “automatically” declassify documents.
It's CNN, one of the most visible anti-Trump networks out there. We all know their agenda. While the charges are bogus, Democrats know it will inflame the GOP base and coalesce support around the former president, who the Left hopes will be the 2024 GOP nominee. Republican voters should be aware of this trap. We will always call out the nonsensical nature of these anti-Trump legal actions, but we cannot deny their impact. Trump has already been indicted on an even more ludicrous campaign finance scheme relating to his hush money arrangement with ex-porn star Stormy Daniels, who Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg said constituted a grave election violation, fraud even, as this could have impacted the 2016 election. The statute of limitations on the charges had expired, but COVID reportedly stopped the clock, allowing Bragg’s office to elevate misdemeanors into felonies. In almost all cases, a fine is rendered, and no jail time is considered. It’s a slap on the wrist. But the trial for this circus is set for March of 2024 when the election season enters hyperdrive speed. Trump will be dealing with this trial, and maybe two others if he’s indicted in the classified document probe and the Georgia 2020 election interference investigation.
Yes, all are bogus, but he has three trials to deal with at a time when the former president would need to go on the offensive against other GOP candidates and Joe Biden. He can’t if everything circles back to these legal entanglements. And should he win the nomination again, the GOP would be unable to go on offense, giving Democrats further comfort. It just doesn’t work with Trump if we are traveling on this road, and we need to win the next election. It’s funny—I thought the FBI raid on Mar-a-Lago last summer, which was ridiculous, clinched the GOP primaries for Trump. That was a gross miscalculation, especially since his current core of operatives has proven to be woefully incompetent. He cannot win a national election with this current crew.
Suppose Trump clinches it again, yes—of course. In that case, I’m voting for him, but the confidence level that he can pull it off again while facing an electorate that has demonstrated thrice that they’re no longer on board is demoralizing. Mr. Trump can’t win with just MAGA folks, and 2018, 2020, and 2022 cycles have proven that. A sizable coalition of voters can and will block him successfully every time. But that’s a peripheral concern. The potential for three trials tying down Trump in 2024 is a far more pressing concern, which could have implications down the ballot. The GOP has a good chance to retake the Senate in 2024. Trump could put that endanger. I hate to admit that the bad guys are winning, but they are.
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