All the times he spilled the beans

Created
Wed, 05/07/2023 - 05:30
Updated
Wed, 05/07/2023 - 05:30
… that we know of The Washington Post: Among many striking things about the July 2021 audio of Donald Trump seeming to discuss a classified document with guests is how casual it all was. In real time, the now-indicted former president seems to recognize that what he’s doing is not kosher, requesting that it be off the record and drawing an aide to comment with an apparently uneasy laugh, “Yeah, now we have a problem.” It’s as if those involved were familiar with the dance of Trump being cavalier with sensitive information. Which, even before this latest entry, is indeed what his full record demonstrates. Appearing on MSNBC over the weekend, former Trump White House press secretary Stephanie Grisham said she personally witnessed the way Trump shared information at Mar-a-Lago during his presidency. Asked whether it was plausible that Trump was actually showing off classified documents in July 2021 — Trump has suggested it was mere “bravado” — Grisham said: “The short answer is yes. I watched him show documents to people at Mar-a-Lago on the dining room patio. So he has no respect for classified information. Never did.” Grisham’s account is not a detailed one. But it comports with plenty of history. With the indictment accusing him of sharing classified documents with unauthorized people on two separate occasions in 2021, it’s worth running through what we know about the other major episodes in re: Trump and sensitive information. (A note: While president, Trump had broad authority to declassify information at will. But that doesn’t…