Did Meadows just unintentionally doom Trump?
Mark Meadows, former chief of staff to Donald Trump, might have dealt a significant blow to the defense strategy of the ex-president in the federal classified documents case. It has been reported that Meadows informed investigators that he couldn’t recall any instance of Trump attempting to declassify sensitive materials before leaving office.
According to undisclosed sources, Meadows conveyed to Special Counsel Jack Smith’s office that he had no knowledge of Trump discussing the declassification of sensitive documents prior to his departure from the White House in January 2021. He also stated that he was unaware of any directive from Trump authorizing automatic declassification of such materials removed from the White House.
According to Newsweek, Donald Trump faces 40 charges related to allegations of illegal retention of classified documents after his presidency and obstructing the federal investigation into their retrieval. Trump has consistently maintained his innocence regarding the classified documents case. He has frequently asserted that he had declassified the papers taken by the FBI from his Mar-a-Lago resort in August before leaving office, a claim that has been disputed.
An audio tape released in June further cast doubt on Trump’s assertion. In the recording, Trump discussed possessing a “highly confidential” Pentagon paper concerning a potential attack on Iran. During the conversation at his New Jersey golf resort in July 2021, Trump admitted that he could have declassified the document while he was president, but it remained secret at that time.
The July 2021 meeting took place between Trump, his aides, and two individuals working on Meadows’ biography. A Trump campaign official responded to the Meadows report, accusing Smith’s office of selectively leaking incomplete information to manipulate public opinion.
Legal experts believe that Meadows’ reported statements, indicating his lack of awareness about attempts to declassify classified documents, weaken Trump’s defense in the federal case. Commenting on the matter, former U.S. Attorney Preet Bharara stated that Trump’s own words in the audio tape had undermined his defense. Meadows’ testimony, considering his proximity to Trump, could be crucial in the case, according to former Department of Justice spokesperson Sarah Isgur.