This isn't rocket science.

[NCDem47]

The documents Trump took---AND HID IN A SAFE AT HIS PRIVATE RESDIENCE---had value to him, which he wanted no one else to have.

They either:

1. Incriminate him with some detail he needed to retain in hard copy form for whatever reason

2. Incriminate others and could be used as blackmail

3. Held value to trade for currency

If they didn't possess any value, he would toss them. I don't buy for a minute he wanted anything for sentimental or historical purposes. We know his mafia ethos.

[underpants]

1. I wonder if any of these have been redacted

with ketchup

[fightforfreedom]

2. I agree.

He doesn't do anything without it in some way he profits off it. He is an Un-imaginable narcissist.

[Irish_Dem]

3. Great thread.

1. But why would he keep evidence that would incriminate him?
He would certainly have destroyed that kind of thing.

So evidence to exonerate him?

2. Yes most certainly he would like info which could be used to blackmail his enemies.
Edit to add: Or black mail his minions into silence.

3. Or something he could sell.

The something to sell could range from classified military intel to UFO info.

Anything Trump thought he could turn into cash. Something he had to sit on and didn't cash it in while in the WH.

[dalton99a]

4. +1. Remember he cashed a 13-cent check

He doesn't care about sentimental stuff.

People mean nothing to him.

History means nothing to him

[Irish_Dem]

8. Of course I know he is a toxic narcissist and ruthless sociopath.

He would keep material that aggrandizes him, but he would display it in public and not hide it.

He would only keep material under lock and key that would directly benefit him in some way.

Also he is not that smart and could have made a stupid mistake.

[atreides1]

7. You forget

1. Because Trump is arrogant and has an ego the size of the Sun!

[Irish_Dem]

9. Yes he is not that smart and could have made a stupid mistake.

[brush]

15. And he's always had lawyers and fixers which has allowed...

him to always get away with with illegal activities, and being an ex-president, he thought all that was still in effect and that they'll never get a warrant to search his residence.

Wrong. Stealing classified, government documents is a crime and after months of negotiations and only giving up part of what he took, the DOJ finally said enough of this crap. Get a warrant and search the place.

[NCDem47]

10. Maybe incriminating evidence had others invloved

And IF he was brought down, he could whip out to prove. Very scorched earth.

[Irish_Dem]

11. Of yes, this is something Trump would do for sure.

Something that could burn it all down if anyone touches him.

[MarcA]

14. Probably somewhere he has info on sensitive sources

and would threaten to publicize it if DOJ didn't cut him a deal.

[Firestorm49]

5. "to trade for currency" - that's my bet. Treason. My opinion is that our adversaries have already

benefitted from the infantile traitor.

He must be stopped from running again for any public office. He must be prosecuted to the full extent of the law to restore confidence in the American people that justice is not blind.

Then we can start to worry about the next Trumpite idiot who will step up to the plate. If we can show that justice works, it could be our first step in quashing the authoritarian aspirations of his fascist clique.

[brewens]

6. The beauty of it is, if he goes down hard, he will take a bunch of his collaborators with him

and they know it. Now is the time to turn on Trump if it's not too late. But they won't really know that will they? They don't know what he has.

[2naSalit]

12. They are likely the docs tht...

Are so super secret they cannot be described to the public. That such docs were recovered was reported by Jackie Alamany last night.

That is disturbing.

[Irish_Dem]

13. Could be something fringe, worth big money, that would appeal to Trump?

Something fringe but splashy and tabloid material.

He is more like PT Barnum sometimes.

Something he could sell to the the tabloids and make a mint.
Also something that would make him feel special and important.

And also damage US reputation. Show the US government as liars.

Real story behind some US historical event. Something classified.

UFOs, JFK assassination, presidential affairs, moon landing.

Anything the US hid the truth about.....and would make Trump money and make the US look bad for hiding.

He could have asked for this kind of material while in the WH.

Just brainstorming here, and guessing based on Trump's psychopathology and intellectual level.

But would the Garland even care about that kind of thing?

[brooklynite]

16. There is no evidence that Government documents were in Trump's safe...

If they had a search warrant for Mar-a-Lago, that would have included searching the safe as a POTENTIAL location for the searchable evidence to date that anything was removed from the safe.

[NCDem47]

18. Good point.

[Irish_Dem]

17. Something incriminating against the FBI/DOJ/US government.

Something so serious that Trump sees it as his get out of jail card.

[GoCubsGo]

19. 4. A combination of any or all of the above.

My money is on #4.

[NCDem47]

20. Maybe we'll never know what was retrieved or what was searched for.

So secret and highly classified, the public is not allowed to know.

If the FBI found what they were looking for, it's now back in govt. hands (couldn't Dumbo have made copies?) and that's where it ends. Fueling conspiracy and Q theories for eons.