Trump's Doing Himself No Favors With Claims of 'Mental Declassification'
Former president made wild statements in interview with Sean Hannity
Donald Trump's not helping his case in the investigation of his possession of classified and other national security materials which the FBI seized last month from his Florida home by claiming that he used his mind to declassify the documents, according to commentators and even other Republicans.
The former president made the stunning claim in a Thursday interview with Fox News host Sean Hannity.
“Different people say different things but as I understand it, if you’re the president of the United States, you can declassify just by saying it’s declassified, even by thinking about it,” Trump claimed. “Because you’re sending it to Mar-a-Lago or wherever you’re sending it. There doesn’t have to be a process. There can be a process, but there doesn’t have to be.
“You’re the president – you make that decision,” he added.
Not surprisingly, Trump was roundly mocked for this wild claim by the late-night comedians.
“The important thing is Trump wants you to know, the FBI came in looking for Hillary’s emails, while they were there, they planted documents, stole his will, and probably the Playboys under Barron’s bed,” late-night funnyman Jimmy Kimmel joked. “And also he’s telepathic. Like Professor X. And that’s only one of his problems right now.”
Over on the CBS network, host Stephen Colbert roasted Trump and his new mind tricks — or as he referred to the former president Thursday, “The Count of Mostly Crisco” — as an extended bit in his Thursday monologue.
Elsewhere, however, others found Trump's claims to be no laughing matter.
“There’s a process for declassifying documents. And I think it ought to be adhered to and followed,” said Sen. John Thune (R-S.D.), the minority whip in the U.S. Senate, when questioned on Trump’s comments by CNN’s Manu Raju on Thursday.
Meanwhile, longtime television journalist and commentator Dan Abrams said, in an on-camera appearance, that Trump very well will face criminal indictment over his allegedly illegal possession of the sensitive records at Mar-a-Lago.
“But I’m starting to believe that he very well may get indicted over these documents. Not for retaining them, but for refusing to turn them over after a subpoena was issued,” Abrams said. “I’d said previously, I thought there was maybe a 40 percent chance – meaning it was a close call, and if it is close, Trump is not helping his case with the claims of evidence planting and mental declassification.”
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