While in office, President Donald J. Trump had a penchant for ripping up documents. (He presumably had it before he was elected; he probably has it now.) The problem with this handling of documents, The Washington Post reports, is a little something known as the Presidential Records Act. That act requires that all written communication relevant to a president’s official duties be preserved and turned over to the National Archives.
WaPo reports: “Trump’s shredding of paper was far more widespread and indiscriminate than previously known and — despite multiple admonishments — extended throughout his presidency.” Apparently, the admonishments didn’t come from some librarian from the Archives but from people including then-White House counsel Donald McGahn, and chiefs of staff Reince Priebus and John F. Kelly.
Aides ended up having to collect the shreds and try to tape them back together. …
This is further evidence that Donald Trump never understood the fact that he was working for the people not working for the Trump Organization. When he was running his own company, he could do pretty much whatever he wanted with his documents: rip-rip-rip. But the presidency is something apart from the person who has that office and as such there are rules and procedures that are attached to that office. Even after the admonishments you can imagine Trump smirking, shaking his head and rip-rip-rip.
Wonder how the Republican National Committee thinks about this blatant disregard of norms that are part of the heritage of the nation?
But Wait, There’s More. . .
The National Archives and Records Administration retrieved Donald J. Trump’s presidential papers – apparently those he didn’t rip into little pieces -- and other records in January from his Mar-a-Lago home, that should have been turned over to the federal agency when he left office, according to the latest WaPo reporting. Of course, Trump has been long claiming he won the election anyway so perhaps he figured the records were his to keep, including those indicating what role he and his closest aides may have played in the January 6, 2020 attempt to overturn Joe Biden’s victory.
Of course, he doesn’t “own” any of the official documents, despite what he probably imagines.
--Edited by Gary S. Vasilash and Todd Lassa
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