Why is Trump so obsessed about the "classification" of the documents?

[kentuck]

He wants the world to know that he "de-classified" them as soon as they left the Oval Office. Kash Patel is willing to back him up on that claim and say that he heard him "declassify" them.
Would you like to buy a bridge?

So why the obsession?

In my opinion, there are classified documents out there that could be very damaging to Trump in their "classified" form and he knows it. Trying to stay ahead of the narrative, he would like for folks to know that he "de-classified" it.

Those documents may be in the last batch of boxes that the FBI seized from his Maralago basement?

If you thought the first 15 boxes were damaging, wait until you hear what was in the boxes he did not want to turn over.

[Orrex]

1. If they're declassified, then let us see them.

[Tickle]

2. I thought we had them back?

Didn't we get them on August 8th?

[Tickle]

3. What is taking the FBI so long in

arresting the orange guy?

They had to have opened the boxes already

[Orrex]

4. They should have arrested him while they were hauling the boxes out of his shithole resort

He's obviously guilty. Everyone on Earth with any awareness of the situation can see it.

Pending trial, he should be jailed as a flight risk and for a million other reasons.

[Tickle]

5. agree! nt

[CommonHumanity]

6. Here is EXACTLY why....Please note and don't be misled by distracting extraneous BS

Because....The goal is to muddy the waters with a slew of extraneous and not directly relevant information. The documents do not need to be classified to be a threat and to bring criminal charges.

The warrant gave prosecutors the right to seize records in violation of three laws: code numbers 793, 2071 and 1519.
The three laws address mishandling of federal government records. Law 793 prevents unauthorized possession of national defense information whether the records are classified or not and is punishable by up to 10 years in prison.

The obsession comes down to two strategies:

1. The Steve Bannon strategy of flooding the "zone" with so much bs that people are confused and don't know what to believe. ALWAYS EXPECT IT AND DON'T FALL FOR IT! It results in us wasting time on non-relevant information and questioning motives rather than focusing on the real crimes and legal codes and facts!

2. TFG's evil penchant for trying to work the legal system in his favor.

[LastDemocratInSC]

7. Declassification solves nothing so far as national security is concerned

because the documents still contain information that shouldn't get into the wrong hands.

TFG is thinking only about how to wiggle out of his legal mess. He's apparently unconcerned that the top secret data could be released. What a fool.

[Tetrachloride]

8. My bingo card: TFG will explicitly admit he didn't declassify

anything.

it could happen.

[malaise]

9. He is not

His only interest is his own authority. He thought he was the fucking emperor and whatever he said was law. Any attempt to read him the rules was met with 'deep state'.
That is all

[patricia92243]

10. Is there not an official way to de-classify documents? Or all it takes

is the president - any president - to just wave his hands over them and say "I now de-classify you." (Sarcasm)

It seems there should be a paper trail to prove the documents have been properly de-classified.

[jmowreader]

14. There most definitely is an official way

First, you must make a determination that continued classification is not in the national interest.

“I wanna read this in my bedroom” is not that.

Then you must go through the whole thing line by line and redact every word and photograph that still requires classification.

Which Trump wouldn’t have done as it would have eliminated the documents’ market value.

Hanging is too good for Trump. I want him burned at the stake.

[D_Master81]

11. I want to know

What document and what it included. Now he knows they’ll never release them because they’re NOT declassified but it’s a PR move not a legal one. Then he can make it seem to his base that it’s the FBI and not him that’s the bad guy.

[kentuck]

12. I wonder if they had a file on Khashoggi ?

The WashPost reporter that was butchered by the Saudis. Neither Trump nor Kushner ever had much to say about it. I suspect they may have assisted the Saudis in locating him?

[tinrobot]

13. Because he desperately thinks it wll play well with the base.

"They weren't classified, see? I'm being persecuted for nothing"

Not gonna work. Calling for riots won't work, either.

He's toast.

[MissMillie]

15. Pretty much the same reason he does everything

to con people out of their money.


He's going to milk the "I'm not guilty of anything, but I need your money to defend myself against this witch hunt" public opinion argument for every dime he can get out of it.

[EnergizedLib]

16. Even if declassified

He cannot take them with him.

Also, he can’t declassify anything after Jan. 20, 2021, and hopefully, never again.

[kentuck]

18. I think it would be for a different reason.

There could be a classified document that if it was discovered that he took it, it would look very bad for him. He would hope to lessen the appearance of criminality by "de-classifying" it.

[LuckyCharms]

17. No declassification until classification markings are

redacted or altered officially.

He can't just wave a magic wand.