Donald Trump is no stranger to the courtroom. In one of his cases, he’s been accused of carrying away classified documents from the White House after losing the election. Jack Smith, the prosecutor for the case, offered Robert Hur’s report on President Biden’s handling of classified material to the court. Let’s see what this might mean.
Everyone Does It
One of the crucial points that Trump’s case hinges on is the explanation by his attorneys that all presidents handle classified documents the same.
The argument is supposed to highlight that even though Trump did carry away classified documents to his Mar-a-Lago resort, all presidents handle documents the same way.
Robert Hur’s Report Could Be Damning Evidence
As a direct challenge to Trump’s claim, Robert Hur extensively studied how the Biden administration, particularly the president, handled classified documents while in power.
The result is the Hur Report, which Smith intends to use to show that the argument that Trump handled these documents the same way other presidents did is untrue.
Willful Retention Is the Sticking Point
Smith’s case rests on the idea that Trump both willfully carried out these classified documents for unspecified purposes and kept them even after he was subpoenaed.
Conversely, Biden was found to be in possession of classified documents relating to Afghanistan. The Hur Report exonerates the president of having those documents willfully.
Opposition To Trump’s Move to Dismiss
Smith is bringing out the Hur Report in response to Trump’s lawyers moving for the court to dismiss the case on account of the former president being selectively persecuted.
Smith’s use of the Hur Report was used to show that the scope of the cases differed significantly. Biden’s retention of documents was a mistake, while Trump’s was done on purpose.
Efforts to Obstruct Justice Called Into Question
The case is multi-layered and depends on the prosecution knowing that Trump knowingly had the documents in his possession. No one is sure what he was going to do with those documents either.
According to the prosecution, Trump repeatedly and with malice aforethought tried to obstruct justice. When subpoenaed for the documents, he withheld several that the prosecution claims he knows were present on his property.
Documents Discovered In a Raid
The documents in question were discovered in a Federal raid on the former president’s Mar-a-Lago property. Several boxes of classified documents were seized as evidence in the case.
Trump and his lawyers claim that the former president and entrepreneur did not know those documents being present at the Mar-a-Lago estate.
Hur Report Done To Ensure No Wrongdoing
Robert Hur’s report was initially designed to see whether keeping classified documents at a sitting president’s home would qualify as illegal. Hur found that was not the case.
In an extensive following of what Biden did while in possession of the documents, Hur concluded that the sitting president needed the documents, and they were kept secure at the house.
Raising Red Flags About the President
One of the more controversial parts of the Hur report was the conclusion. While Hur found it not untoward for Biden to keep the documents, he suggested the president needed them close by.
According to Hur, Biden’s state as an older man with poor recall required that he had the documents close at hand since he couldn’t remember many details to do with the operation.
Biden Camp Not Happy With the Conclusion
Even though the Hur Report exonerated the president, Biden’s political allies were appalled at the conclusions reached by the Hur Report. It highlighted a significant issue the president’s political enemies were eager to exploit.
For years since he was elected, Biden’s political opponents have stated that he is too old to hold power. The Hur Report may have inadvertently added evidence to support this position.
More Than Just Hoarding The Documents
Aside from exonerating Biden, the Hur Report underlined how a president should handle classified documents while being kept in their own home.
Smith contends that Trump not only mishandled these classified documents but also intended to share the contents with unauthorized individuals.
Justification For The Raid
Trump’s attorneys hold up the raid that led to the discovery of the documents as a prime example of the former president being persecuted and hounded by the sitting administration. They claim this persecution is the reason the case should be dropped.
Yet the knowledge that Trump had these documents at the Mar-a-Lago property and the discovery of these documents underlines the reasoning for the federal search warrant. The searchers found the records on the property and interviewed several staff members.
Full Cooperation From Biden
Delving into the Hur Report, it’s easy to see the significant differences between Trump and Biden in their respective investigations. Biden actively cooperated with investigators in his case.
Conversely, Trump’s case was marred by hidden evidence, lack of accountability, and an overall air of deception, with Trump himself changing his story about the documents several times.
No Comparison Necessary
Trump’s lawyers have been comparing the investigations between Biden and Trump to highlight the level of unfairness that those in authority have been inflicting on the former president.
Yet Smith says even if you look at each of the cases, it’s immediately apparent that there is no comparison in how those cases progressed, as well as the level of cooperation present in the plaintiff in each case.
Is This Good Or Bad?
The Hur Report is a positive move by the prosecution to block Trump’s lawyers’ request to throw the case out of court. Reading the report will let the judge realize that the scope of either of these investigations is quite different, and the evidence suggests that the case should be heard.
For the Trump camp, the Hur Report could be a double-edged sword. The conclusions could land Donald Trump in hot water regarding the classified documents, but it could also offer his presidential campaign a lift. The Hur Report serves as damning evidence that Biden may be too old to remain in power – something Trump’s campaign has been suggesting since the last election.
