Skip to content
Search AI Powered

Latest Stories

Former Trump Aide Accuses Trump Of 'Lying' About 'Standing Order' To Declassify Documents

Former Trump Aide Accuses Trump Of 'Lying' About 'Standing Order' To Declassify Documents
Jonathan Ferrey/LIV Golf via Getty Images; LOGAN CYRUS/AFP via Getty Images

Another of former Republican President Donald Trump's ride or die supporters—former Trump National Security Advisor John Bolton—is again speaking out to contradict his former boss.

After the Department of Justice (DoJ) issued a search warrant for Trump’s Florida paid membership resort Mar-a-Lago—a warrant executed by the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI)—Trump and his allies have given a wide variety of responses and excuses.


The National Archives notified the DoJ they believed the prior return of documents—improperly taken to Mar-a-Lago for storage in an unsecured location by Trump—didn't include everything, with some missing documents possibly impacting national security.

In response, a search warrant was issued.

The FBI seized 11 sets of classified documents at Mar-a-Lago. While the resort has a hefty membership fee, reviews regarding national security are not part of the membership approval process. Mar-a-Lago can also be rented as an event space by anyone with the cash to pay the fees.

From the Trump camp claiming anything found was planted by the FBI to pointing fingers at former Democratic President Barack Obama to saying Trump declassified everything—a power that is not unlimited—the Trump response continues to evolve.

The current explanation hinges on an alleged standing order to automatically declassify any documents taken to Trump’s properties.



On Friday evening, Trump’s office stated:

"...in order to prepare for work the next day, [Trump] often took documents, including classified documents, to the residence.”
“He had a standing order that documents removed from the Oval Office and taken to the residence were deemed to be declassified the moment he removed them."

But in an interview with The New York Times, Bolton said this latest excuse is "almost certainly a lie."

The former Trump administration member said:

"I was never briefed on any such order, procedure, policy when I came in."
"If he were to say something like that, you would have to memorialize that, so that people would know it existed."






National security experts concur with Bolton—such an order would have to be well documented and readily available for review.

Yet no one from the Trump camp has produced it to back their latest claim.

And regardless if such an order existed—even though its validity is questionable at best—Trump was required by law at the end of his presidency in January 2021 to turn over all White House records in his possession to the National Archives and Records Administration (NARA).

More from People/donald-trump

Jasmine Crockett Calls Out Trump's Hypocrisy By Pointing Out How Melania Got Her Visa
Leigh Vogel/Getty Images for SiriusXM; Kayla Bartkowski/Getty Images

Jasmine Crockett Calls Out Trump's Hypocrisy By Pointing Out How Melania Got Her Visa

Texas Democratic Representative Jasmine Crockett pointed out President Donald Trump's hypocrisy on immigration considering how First Lady Melania Trump's pathway to citizenship was possible because she received an "Einstein visa," which is usually reserved for an individual with "some sort of significant achievement."

Speaking during a House Judiciary Committee hearing titled “Restoring Integrity and Security to the Visa Process,” Crockett noted that “the idea that Trump and my Republican colleagues want to restore integrity and security in the visa process is actually a joke," and harshly criticized the Trump administration's immigration crackdown and visa restrictions.

Keep ReadingShow less
Screenshots of Jennifer Griffin and Pete Hegseth
The Hill

Fox Host Comes To Reporter's Defense After Pete Hegseth Berates Her At Pentagon Briefing

Fox News' chief political analyst Brit Hume came to the defense of Fox national security reporter Jennifer Griffin after their former colleague, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, criticized Griffin as the reporter "who misrepresents the most intentionally what the president says” in a Pentagon news conference.

Hegseth, a former Fox News anchor, had criticized media outlets—including his former network—for what he described as unpatriotic reporting. Hegseth took particular aim at early intelligence assessments suggesting that President Donald Trump's bombing of Iran may not have significantly crippled Iran’s nuclear capabilities.

Keep ReadingShow less

Teachers Share The Questions Students Asked In Class That Broke Their Hearts

Being a teacher is a calling.

It is not for the meek or weak of heart.

Keep ReadingShow less
Screenshot of Emily Compagno
Fox News

Fox Host Slams Dem For Dropping An F-Bomb After Praising Trump For The Same Thing Just Minutes Earlier

Fox News host Emily Compagno was criticized after she praised Donald Trump's use of the "f-bomb" earlier this week before condemning Texas Democratic Representative Jasmine Crockett's use of the same word—on the same episode of her show, no less.

Trump made headlines this week after admonishing Israel and Iran for violating a ceasefire agreement he'd announced on Truth Social. Although he claimed the ceasefire had been "agreed upon," Iran fired at least six missile barrages at Israel after it was supposed to take effect.

Keep ReadingShow less
Ken Jennings; Emily Croke
@Jeopardy/Instagram

Champ's Wild Final Jeopardy Connection

In a dramatic conclusion on last Monday’s Jeopardy!, a contestant revealed a surprising relationship to the final clue's answer. Hailing from Denver, Emily Croke made it to the final write-in portion of the game show with $12,200 in earnings.

In the category of “Collections,” host Ken Jennings read the clue:

Keep ReadingShow less