Ohio Republican Representative Mike Turner was severely criticized after he suggested former Republican President Donald Trump was merely keeping classified material to write his "memoirs," in yet another example of excuses the GOP made for the former President, whose Mar-a-Lago estate was searched by federal agents earlier this month.
Agents with the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) combed through Mar-a-Lago on a hunt for classified materials Trump spirited away from the Oval Office in violation of federal laws and presidential protocol.
But to hear Turner tell it, Trump—who according to the FBI had about 20 boxes in his possession, including 11 sets marked as top secret or sensitive—needed the materials to write his memoirs because Presidents "don't have, you know, great recall of everything that's occurred in their administration."
You can hear what he said in the video below.
\u201cCBS: What use could a former POTUS have for classified information once he's left office? Why bring it home to Florida?\n\nREP. MIKE TURNER: You'd have to ask him, but certainly we all know that every former POTUS has access to their documents. It's how they write their memoirs.\u201d— Aaron Rupar (@Aaron Rupar) 1661094443
When asked what "use" Trump would have for classified information after leaving office, Turner said:
"Well, I don't know. I mean, you have to ask him."
"But certainly, we all know that every former president has access to their documents. It's how they write their memoirs."
"They don't have, you know, great recall of everything that's occurred in their administration."
Turner, who is the top Republican on the House Intelligence Committee, also said the affidavit supporting the FBI's search warrant for Mar-a-Lago "will give us the information to understand how did the FBI justify raiding Mar-a-Lago and spending nine hours in the President's house."
The Department of Justice (DOJ) opposes the release of details from the sworn affidavit describing the basis for the search.
United States Attorney Juan Gonzalez and Justice Department counterintelligence chief Jay Bratt said in a filing that releasing those details would compromise the ongoing criminal probe, writing the affidavit "would serve as a roadmap to the government’s ongoing investigation, providing specific details about its direction and likely course, in a manner that is highly likely to compromise future investigative steps."
However, Trump has called for the affidavit to be released without any redactions and the Florida judge who approved the FBI's search warrant has instructed the DOJ to submit proposed redactions before deciding whether or not the affidavit can be released.
Turner's excuses for Trump were swiftly condemned.
\u201cIt's like when Trump hit the escalator and millions of Republicans were like, "Who's this decent upstanding guy?" as though he hadn't existed as a weirdo con-man for decades.\nHere, Turner acts as though Trump's not the desperate-for-cash, transactional scammer he's always been.\u201d— Bob Cesca (@Bob Cesca) 1661105764
\u201cHaving access to them and taking them home are two completely different things. Why am I having to explain this to someone who sits on the intelligence committee?\u201d— National Security Counselors (@National Security Counselors) 1661106017
\u201cRep Turner of Ohio is a clown for trump.\u201d— Robin B. I AM PRO CHOICE and PROUD. \ud83e\udde1\ud83d\udda4#WHODEY\ud83d\udc05 (@Robin B. I AM PRO CHOICE and PROUD. \ud83e\udde1\ud83d\udda4#WHODEY\ud83d\udc05) 1661117288
\u201cAh! The highly classified docs were \u201cmarked classified\u201d but that doesn\u2019t mean they were actually classified because Trumpface says he waved that away. So someone screwed up, didn\u2019t print out the new copies that weren\u2019t marked classified. McFuddy Duddy here just cleared it all up.\u201d— \ud835\ude7c\ud835\ude8a\ud835\udea1\ud835\ude92\ud835\ude96\ud835\ude92\ud835\ude95\ud835\ude95\ud835\ude92\ud835\ude8a\ud835\ude97 \ud835\ude7f\ud835\ude98\ud835\ude9d\ud835\ude9d\ud835\ude8e\ud835\ude9b (@\ud835\ude7c\ud835\ude8a\ud835\udea1\ud835\ude92\ud835\ude96\ud835\ude92\ud835\ude95\ud835\ude95\ud835\ude92\ud835\ude8a\ud835\ude97 \ud835\ude7f\ud835\ude98\ud835\ude9d\ud835\ude9d\ud835\ude8e\ud835\ude9b) 1661131649
\u201cthis is definitely the most hilarious excuse i have heard so far\u201d— gg \ud83d\ude4a\ud83d\ude48\ud83d\ude49 (@gg \ud83d\ude4a\ud83d\ude48\ud83d\ude49) 1661105274
\u201cMike Turner, stop speaking. You\u2019re not his lawyer, and what you\u2019re saying is extremely dumb. \n\nCBS, why would you allow this random rant on your Sunday show, let alone with no pushback?\u201d— Chris \u201cSubscribe to Law Dork!\u201d Geidner (@Chris \u201cSubscribe to Law Dork!\u201d Geidner) 1661101161
\u201cThis is so true. How else would Obama have written his acclaimed memoir \u201cThe Audacity of Here\u2019s How Our Nuclear Weapons Systems Work\u201d?\u201d— Jeff Mac (@Jeff Mac) 1661101934
\u201cUtterly farcical. This might be convincing were his argument to make any sense.\u201d— Jerry Alexander (@Jerry Alexander) 1661104664
\u201c1. Trump can\u2019t write 2. Most unclassified documents end up in a Presidential Library 3. TFG doesn\u2019t get to decide what goes w him. 4. Turner is a moron.\u201d— flipper (@flipper) 1661139068
Trump continues to face heavy scrutiny in the days since he alerted the world the FBI had executed a search warrant for his Mar-a-Lago estate.
In the days since the search, sources said Trump was in possession of classified material—including nuclear secrets—that prompted the intelligence community to voice concerns about national security.
Trump has hit back at suggestions he broke federal government policy regarding classified documents.
Additionally, his claims he had the ability to declassify any and all documents or information have been widely disputed by experts who've noted there is a specific federal process that must be adhered to before any information can be declassified.
But the classification of the documents' sensitivity is largely immaterial.
Trump was required to turn over all documents to the National Archives and Records Administration (NARA) when he vacated the White House. The NARA alerted the DoJ of his failure to do so.