We reported Tuesday evening on another DOJ leak regarding the Mar-a-Lago raid. The leak, just like the ones that preceded, spread quickly through the media. This prompted a new chorus of “the wall is closing in” from the most hysterical, declaring Trump doomed.
According to The Washington Post, a document was written by the former president that described the nuclear capabilities of foreign nations.
According to sources familiar with the matter, FBI agents found a document that described a foreign government’s military defenses and nuclear capabilities. This was according to former President Donald Trump’s Mar-a-Lago home and private club. It raises concerns about classified material stored on the Florida property.
This is more evidence that Trump placed national security at risk and violated the law governing the handling of classified data. This is the impression that the Post wants you to take away from their report. And many did. This is Laurence Tribe and Adam Schiff, both utterly baffled by the revelation. It may be possible that this is true considering the Post’s history with these types of leaks.
This looks like the last straw! Cannon’s order pausing the criminal investigation absolutely MUST be lifted at least to the degree it interferes with the Director of National Intelligence damage assessment, which can’t really be disentangled from the grand jury’s criminal inquiry https://t.co/oFORtxEkk6
— Laurence Tribe (@tribelaw) September 7, 2022
New reporting that Trump had highly classified information, including on foreign nuclear programs.
If true, it raises yet more questions.
Why would Trump take them to Mar-a-Lago?
Why did he refuse to return them?
The investigation must continue uninterrupted and unimpeded.
— Adam Schiff (@RepAdamSchiff) September 7, 2022
This is just a sample of social media histrionics. But ask yourself: Does the Post’s reporting support these reactions? Is it really saying what people claim it to?
These leaks are simple. They are not intended to advance justice or inform the public. The DOJ leaks information for one purpose: To make the public’s minds wander. Trump is being hurt by the DOJ’s desire for people to interpret the phrase “nuclear capability” as a pretext.
Are you aware of this political maneuvering by the government? Judge Aileen Conn, who is precisely why she appointed a special master despite protestations from “legal analysts” around the world.
Judge Cannon on Monday: DOJ admits leaks happens so therefore a special master is needed to protect Trump from malicious rumors sourced from investigators… pic.twitter.com/ucB4ydx4qe
— Julie Kelly 🇺🇸 (@julie_kelly2) September 7, 2022
Let’s get into the details and see what the Post’s report actually says. It says that a document “describing a foreign power’s military defenses” was discovered in the Mar-a-Lago trove. It doesn’t tell you anything, but it is important to ask yourself what it does not say. Every word is intentionally crafted to promote a particular narrative.
It’s amazing, just think about it. While serving as the DOJ’s intermediary for Trump-damaging leaks, The Post has not had any problem declaring other documents classified. However, this particular document is not mentioned in this instance. What does that tell you? It tells us that it was not classified.
It could be anything that isn’t classified. This includes many things that the former president would have been perfectly entitled to have. You can search the internet right now for information on Iran’s nuclear capabilities. Do I feel like a spy now that I have these documents? This could refer to something as simple as a Trump news article or a reference to nuclear capabilities in one of his letters to foreign leaders.
Because the DOJ created its leak to cause maximum political damage and not tell the public any information at all, we don’t know the truth. Judge Cannon was right to reject the arguments of the government and appoint an expert master. If the DOJ cannot be trusted not to leak the materials it claims Trump has stolen, it can’t be trusted as the arbiter for what’s privileged or not.
It is interesting to note that the leak went from “Trump classified US nuclear secrets” during the first iteration, to “Trump had a document discussing another country’s nukes weeks later.” This story is always changing, and those who ingested the first leak are just as happy to eat the second. It’s sad to see them react to each “bombshell” the same way as if history didn’t exist. This has been going on for seven years, and the song is still the same.
