The paper cited sources who said the documents were so secret that only the president, certain members of his cabinet or officials close to the cabinet could authorize other government officials to see them. The Post said the papers included information about a foreign country’s nuclear defense readiness, but did not say which. The staggering implications of such documents – classified at some of the highest levels available under federal law – held in a private residence where concerns have been raised about the organization and security of their retention cannot be overstated. The claim suggested a reason why US intelligence agencies should conduct an assessment of any national security risks after the FBI raid. If accurate, the report also undercuts any defense by Mr. Trump and his allies that the documents seized by the FBI were harmless and intended solely for his use in a memoir, presidential library or other project. It is hard to imagine a valid need for a former president to have such information. Trump’s closest defenders have been making such arguments for weeks — Sen. Marco Rubio, who represents the raided state, said as recently as this week that the investigation amounted to a simple records matter. Tuesday’s report from the Post would put the Justice Department in the crosshairs of investigating possible mishandling of classified material, to say nothing of the records act violations that Trump could also be charged with. The Independent has approached the former president’s office for comment. Reacting shortly after the FBI raid on Mar-a-Lago on August 8, Trump denied that there were nuclear secrets among the documents allegedly found at his home, calling the claims a “hoax.” He also suggested the FBI had placed documents there, although he has since acknowledged they were there, later claiming he had personally “declassified” them. In the weeks since the FBI raid, Mr. Trump has repeatedly attacked the Biden administration, and in particular the federal law enforcement apparatus, over his latest legal status. At a recent rally in Pennsylvania, along with his chosen candidates in key state races, the former president denounced what he called “evil” actions by the Justice Department. Adding to his anger at the agencies is the recent revelation by Facebook’s Mark Zuckerberg that his company and Twitter voluntarily censored news on their platforms about a laptop formerly owned by Hunter Biden during the 2020 election. Conservatives claimed here long believed the computer contained incriminating information (though Biden has not been charged with a crime by law enforcement), and Trump himself has recently backed the belief that the story’s failure to reach more voters cost him votes in the election 2020. The former president also harbors hatred for the DoJ and FBI for their investigation into the 2016 presidential campaign and the unprecedented effort by Russian agents to damage the reputation and candidacy of his opponent, Hillary Clinton. However, he has given no coherent explanation as to why classified materials were found at his private Florida home and resort, preferring instead to make baseless accusations along the lines of his predecessor, Barack Obama. Trump, along with allies including Marjorie Taylor Greene, unleashed sharp criticism after criticism of the FBI, which the agency along with the Department of Homeland Security warned last month was leading to an increase in threats of violence against federal agents and property. An Ohio FBI office was even attacked, leading to the death of the gunman in a gun battle with law enforcement. The political ramifications of indicting a former president, especially one who is seen as his party’s front-runner in the next presidential cycle, are now the focus of both political pundits in the Washington media and Justice Department prosecutors. they follow an unwritten rule not to take politically sensitive actions during election season. A possible reaction to such an action by the Department of Justice was explained by GOP Senator Lindsey Graham, who recently predicted “riots” in the streets if Donald Trump is criminally indicted. His words were called a veiled threat by his enemies on the left, while Mr Graham defended them as an honest portrayal of the reality of the situation. Documents seized by FBI agents will now be placed in the hands of a court-appointed special master, unless the Justice Department appeals Judge Aileen Cannon’s decision to allow the unnamed official to review them for privileged information or records. Justice Department officials said they were weighing their options.
