I Have Every Right to Hold Secret Documents, Says Trump

Former U.S. Republican President Donald Trump has declared that he has a legal right to hold secret documents. Trump spoke to his supporters in Bedminster, New Jersey, as he faced charges in Miami related to the possession of classified documents. This was reported by TASS.

“According to the Espionage Act, the charges against a former president that threaten me with 400 years in prison for holding my own records, which almost every president has done, is one of the most terrible and shameful cases ever. The Espionage Act has been used to punish traitors and spies and has nothing to do with a former president who lawfully held his documents. It is not the Espionage Act that pertains to the president, but the Presidential Records Act, which is not mentioned in this ridiculous 44-page indictment. Under the Presidential Records Act, which is civil rather than criminal, I had the right to hold those documents,” Trump stated.

Trump accused former President Bill Clinton of violating record-keeping regulations. “After leaving the White House, Bill Clinton retained 79 audio recordings that contain discussions about U.S. military intervention in Haiti, American foreign policy, defense and offense, and conversations with numerous foreign leaders regarding trade negotiations,” he noted.

It is important to recall that a Miami court has charged Trump with improper handling of classified documents. The former president faces a potential 400-year prison sentence and substantial fines. However, despite the prosecution, he will still be able to participate in the 2024 presidential elections.