Trump is going to say that the fact that highly secret documents were mixed in with

[Raven]

random notes and memorabilia is proof that he didn't know what he had and therefor didn't intend to break the law.

[Claustrum]

1. I expect there will be 20 different and evolving excuses from TFG.

That's how he always operated.

[VMA131Marine]

2. Except

That the documents are marked in big red letters with their classification level on the cover sheet and at the top and bottom of each page. It’s kind of hard to miss.

[Irish_Dem]

3. He will say he didn't pack the boxes, his aides made the mistakes.

[VMA131Marine]

5. Uh-huh

[Irish_Dem]

9. Yep. But his lying and cheating have always worked for him.

And he always finds people to take the fall for him.

[jmowreader]

17. Well...big letters

Confidential documents, which he didn’t have any of because they don’t sell well, are marked in yellow. Secret documents are marked in blue. Top Secret documents, the ones foreign intelligence services want, are marked in red.

[imanamerican63]

4. He did that on purpose, I suspect?

Just another way of staying out of trouble!

[Demsrule86]

6. BS...called hiding in plain sight.

[Bayard]

7. There are already statements

That he went through the boxes himself, and in a secretive manner.

[jmowreader]

18. Well, of course he did

“Dmitri, you said you wanted a copy of the Radio Signals Notation Manual? Let me see if I have one.”

If he actually had one though, someone at NSA has some splainin’ to do. There is no way in hell the White House needs one of those. I do understand why he’d want it - a book so big it’s bolted together would definitely catch his eye.

[H2O Man]

8. Recommended.

There are no lies Trump won't tell. However, the number of people who believe his lies will decrease. At the same time, of course, republican politicians will continue to parrot Trump's lies.

[fightforfreedom]

11. Trumps lies won't work this time. He is screwed and there is nothing to save him this time.

Trump knew he was being investigated. He knew the secret documents were there. The DOJ asked for the documents multiple times, once with a subpoena and Trump obstructed. That is a felony.

[H2O Man]

14. Oh, no doubt.

They only work in the court of public opinion, among the maggot crowd. This is a case in another court context, where his splattering of lies can only hurt him. But in that court of public opinion, he'll continue to lie.

[fightforfreedom]

15. Right, Trump is going to attack the investigation, the judge, FBI, etc.

That's all he has. He has no defense.


It's a witch hunt will be his favorite lie.

[unblock]

10. Breaking news: criminal denies crime, invents excuse.

"As god as my witness, I thought guns don't kill people!"

[Mr.Bill]

12. I think Garland is going for

proof that Trump has already done damage by selling/sharing these documents with foreign adversaries. While mere possesion of these documents is a crime all by itself, Garland is looking for bigger fish to fry. It will be especially damning in a court room if we can name names of people who have been killed/put in danger by these documents being handled the way they were.

[MaryMagdaline]

13. One of those statutes has the word "retain"

So once the FBI or NARA wrote him the letter stating you have x, y and x, his retention of those documents was illegal.

[Initech]

16. There is always an excuse. Always.

[uponit7771]

19. Classification is **NOT AN ISSUE** but Benedict Donald possessing docs AT ALL is. On that ...

... count TFG is already on its face guilty of a misdemeanor of possessing federal material and not giving it back.

He was told he possessed them by the government and he knew he possessed them and did not hand them over to federal officials in any official way.

The rest of it is cherry on top but ***MINIMUM*** Benedict Donald looks likely to be charged with a misdemeanor possession or taking shit that aint his.

[fightforfreedom]

20. Obstructing a federal investigation is a felony.

They can prove that already.

[uponit7771]

23. Is this because TFG didn't give the documents back when requested by the feds? thx in advance

[gratuitous]

22. This is very true

None of the specifications against the former guy allege that he had wrongfully retained documents of any level of classification (though that could be amended at any time). For once, the former guy has gotten cross-wise with a law that doesn't require a showing of criminal intent.

[uponit7771]

24. +1, if SC rules that a verbal declaration of EO is not sufficient enough to change a process ...

... like declassification then Benedict Donald's ass is grass and the DOJ is the lawn mower.

It's something we have to nail down in this country anyway, too many EOs from both parties for me to be comfortable with.

[Saboburns]

21. "It was the box packers fault! Arrest them!" is my current personal favorite.

I imagine they'll be some dandy new lies coming today, as well as the same old standbys.