CNN Exclusive :...Former Trump officials say his claim of 'standing order' to declassify is nonsense

[LetMyPeopleVote]

Source: CNN

In the days since the FBI seized classified and top secret documents from Donald Trump's Mar-a-Lago resort, the former President and his allies have claimed that Trump had a "standing order" to declassify documents he took from the Oval Office to the White House residence.

But 18 former top Trump administration officials tell CNN they never heard any such order issued during their time working for Trump, and that they believe the claim to be patently false.

Several officials laughed at the notion. One senior administration official called it "bullsh*t." Two of Trump's former chiefs of staff went on the record to knock down the claim.

"Nothing approaching an order that foolish was ever given," said John Kelly, who served as Trump's chief of staff for 17 months from 2017 to 2019. "And I can't imagine anyone that worked at the White House after me that would have simply shrugged their shoulders and allowed that order to go forward without dying in the ditch trying to stop.....

Multiple sources said they believed that Trump's claim the documents were declassified was nothing more than a transparent attempt to try to defend himself for taking the documents to Mar-a-Lago.

"There is a process to declassify, the president can't just wave a magic wand," a former senior Trump White House official said.

Read more: https://www.cnn.com/2022/08/18/politics/trump-claim-standing-order-declassify-nonsense-patently-false-former-officials/index.html

[Strelnikov_]

1. Trump lied?

I would never have thunk it!

[Strelnikov_]

2. Also, its about time for Mattis and Kelly to step up

If they really are the patriots they market themselves as.

[Ligyron]

4. 4 real

[Martin Eden]

3. So many of his lies are such obviously blatant bullshit

Are the MAGATs so willfully blind and/or stupid that they eagerly inhale any lie from the orange anus no matter how much it stinks?

[BOSSHOG]

5. Yes they are

But I don’t know if it is willful. In a perverse way maybe Lady Gaga was right when she sang, hey dumbasses you were born that way. Ignorance, it’s a family affair. Now I got Sly Stone involved.

[Novara]

12. it's not that they think he can do no wrong ...

... it's that they revel in every single criminal thing he gets away with.

[keithbvadu2]

6. "and his allies"... How about an actual high level staffer, Dotard?

"and his allies"... How about an actual high level staffer, Dotard?

[C Moon]

8. The liar, his lies and his allies.

[LudwigPastorius]

7. Of course it's nonsense.

Every word that falls from that dickhead's lips is horseshit.

[OAITW r.2.0]

9. "I DECLARE BANKRUPTCY"

That's the classic Carell line he utters in the "Office" to deal with his financial problems, because someone told him that's all he had to do.

Just like Trump and his knowledge of espionage law. Can't wait for the trial.

[peppertree]

10. Which begs the question: What ELSE was improperly carted off to Mar-a-Loco?

And where did all of it go? (besides Moscow).

[twodogsbarking]

11. How long are we going to put up with the same bulltrump.

[Novara]

13. Of course it's laughable nonsense.

He's the kid who smeared shit on the wall and says he didn't do it even though his hands are still covered in shit.

[LetMyPeopleVote]

14. CNN reached out to 18 former top Trump administration officials

Link to tweet

[quaint]

15. Some interesting information about declassification.

If a document is declassified, that doesn’t automatically mean it can be shared widely, either. For example, nuclear information – which is generally classified – is also protected by the federal Atomic Energy Act of 1954, McClanahan explained.

more at source

[musclecar6]

16. As we all

Know, TFG lies about EVERYTHING. All he does is manipulate incessantly, as he cons, lies and cheats. A completely worthless person. Not one redeeming quality. Who the fuck in their right mind would vote for this guy ?

[ck4829]

17. K&R

[LetMyPeopleVote]

18. Trump's Own Chief Of Staff Debunked 'Declassification' Tweets In 2020 Court Filing

Link to tweet

https://www.huffpost.com/entry/mark-meadows-donald-trump-kash-patel-declassified_n_63042417e4b035629bfd8747

Trump did indeed tweet on Oct. 6, 2020: “I have fully authorized the total Declassification of any & all documents pertaining to the single greatest political CRIME in American History, the Russia Hoax. Likewise, the Hillary Clinton Email Scandal. No redactions!”

But later that month, Meadows conceded in a sworn declaration to a federal court that Trump’s tweet was not an order to declassify or release those records.

“The president indicated to me that his statements on Twitter were no self-executing declassification orders, and do not required the declassification or release of any particular documents,” Meadows wrote in his sworn statement.

He added that the tweets “related to authority” the president had delegated to Attorney General William Barr concerning records.

Meadows provided the statement after a judge demanded clarification on why the Trump tweets appeared to be in direct opposition to the White House’s position not to declassify the Russia records. Meadows and the White House had indicated earlier that month that no more records needed to or would be released.