Skip to content
Search AI Powered

Latest Stories

2016 Video Of Trump Vowing To Enforce Laws Protecting Classified Information Is *Chef's Kiss*

2016 Video Of Trump Vowing To Enforce Laws Protecting Classified Information Is *Chef's Kiss*
@KFILE/Twitter

In the days since the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) executed a search warrant on his Mar-a-Lago estate, former Republican President Donald 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 classified documents or information have been widely disputed by experts who noted there is a specific federal process that must be adhered to before any information can be declassified.


These issues alone place a damper on the former President's insistence he respects laws that protect classified information, particularly since his own aides claimed he had a “standing order” to declassify documents that left the White House for his residence.

Now, a resurfaced video—courtesy of CNN reporter Andrew Kaczynski—highlights the levels of Trump's hypocrisy regarding classified documentation, as when he declared during a 2016 campaign stop that he would enforce laws protecting classified information.

You can hear what Trump said in the video below.

Trump said:

"On political corruption, we are going to restore honor to our government."
“In my administration, I’m going to enforce all laws concerning the protection of classified information."
"No one will be above the law."

At the time, Trump's remarks were largely in response to the Benghazi and email investigations, which took place and cleared Secretary of State Hillary Clinton of any criminal wrongdoing.

As Secretary of State, Clinton responded to the Arab Spring by advocating military intervention in Libya but was harshly criticized by Republicans for the failure to prevent the 2012 Benghazi attack. However embassy security staff was cut by Republicans prior to the attack.

Her use of a private email server when she was Secretary of State was the subject of intense scrutiny. The emails were retrieved, not deleted as Republican rhetoric claims. No charges were filed against Clinton as it was deemed a procedural issue and not criminal.

Notably, multiple members of the Trump administration were cited for using private servers, unsecured electronic devices and public apps for official White House communication.

The footage of Trump's remarks—resurfaced so soon after the Mar-a-Lago raid—have exposed him to further criticism.



Last week, Trump sent conservatives into a flurry following his announcement that the FBI raided his Mar-a-Lago estate and "even broke into my safe!"

In the days since the raid, sources said Trump was in possession of classified material—including nuclear secrets—that prompted the intelligence community to voice concerns about national security and the possibility classified government secrets could prove a boon to foreign adversaries and even allies.

The Department of Justice (DOJ) says it 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 that 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."

More from People/donald-trump

Gwyneth Paltrow
TheStewartofNY/GC Images

Gwyneth Paltrow Just Added Carbs And Cheese Back To Her Diet—And Everyone's Thinking The Same Thing

Gwyneth Paltrow is reuniting with an old flame—carbs and cheese.

After years on a strict paleo diet, the Goop founder revealed on her podcast that she’s easing up and reintroducing foods like sourdough bread, pasta, and cheese into her life.

Keep ReadingShow less
Donald Trump
Tom Williams/CQ-Roll Call, Inc via Getty Images

Trump Dragged After Declaring That He's 'Bringing Columbus Day Back' Despite It Never Going Away

In another empty gesture to appeal to his Christian nationalist and White supremacist base, MAGA Republican President Donald Trump vowed to bring back Columbus Day.

But just like when Trump "brought back" Christmas, Columbus Day is a holiday that never went away. There's a difference between not everyone celebrating a holiday and a holiday being eliminated that Trump and his followers seem to not understand.

Keep ReadingShow less
Screenshot of Scott Pelley
60 Minutes/YouTube

Scott Pelley Calls Out Paramount On '60 Minutes' For Caving To Pressure From Trump

60 Minutes anchor Scott Pelley shared a tribute to Bill Owens, who resigned as the program's executive producer last week amid pressure from President Donald Trump and ultimately the extra oversight imposed by Paramount Global after the company capitulated to the Trump administration's demands.

Owens announced his resignation from the storied news program, claiming the show had lost its journalistic independence.

Keep ReadingShow less
Jennifer Coolidge
Kevin Winter/Getty Images

Coolidge's Take on LGBTQ+ Fans

It looks like the gays are trying to love, more than “murder,” Ms. Jennifer "Cool" Coolidge, who gave a thoughtful response when asked about the support and acclaim she has received from the LGBTQ+ community.

The White Lotus starattended the star-studded opening party for The Tryst Puerto Vallarta, a queer luxury resort in the historic Zone Romántica neighborhood in Mexico. The hotel is the latest from “the CEO of Everything Gay,” Tristan Schukraft, who owns West Hollywood’s The Abbey and has opened queer-friendly properties in San Juan, Puerto Rico, and the Pines.

Keep ReadingShow less
Brian Kilmeade; Donald Trump
Roy Rochlin/Getty Images; Andrew Harnik/Getty Images

Fox News Host Ripped After Claiming Trump's Presidency Is 'Normal' For Bonkers Reason

Fox News host Brian Kilmeade had people raising eyebrows after he claimed President Donald Trump's presidency is a "normal" one because of the various championship-winning sports teams who have visited the White House as of late.

One day before the Philadelphia Eagles were scheduled to visit the White House—and shortly after Trump hosted the World Series champion Dodgers—Kilmeade argued that because the Dodgers had been welcomed there and Trump recently interacted with basketball legend Shaquille O'Neal, everything was "normal," in his words.

Keep ReadingShow less