A new “bombshell” in the Washington Post based on anonymous Justice Department leaks is being cited by Donald Trump’s detractors as the smoking gun that will finally land the former president in prison.
The Washington Post reported that a Trump employee told investigators he was instructed to move boxes of records at Mar-A-Lago after the materials were subpoenaed by the Justice Department.
Anti-Trump pundits react to latest “bombshell”
It’s not clear why, but the Post’s anonymous DOJ sources also shared a description of security footage from Trump’s home “corroborating” the claim.
Trump’s detractors, rather than question why the government is leaking about an investigation it claims must remain secret for “national security” reasons, have cited the “bombshell” as proof that Trump is criminally liable for blocking the government’s investigation into his alleged mishandling of documents.
Andrew Weissman, an ally of the Clintons and former top prosecutor in Robert Mueller’s Russia collusion probe, crowed that Trump’s “goose is cooked.”
Between this ⬇️and the testimony of Alex Cannon (to name just two recent developments) Trump’s MAL goose is cooked.
As I have oft said, the issue is no longer the proof, but DOJ’s will.Trump worker told FBI about moving MAL boxes on Trump’s orders https://t.co/H0HyWUNgse
— Andrew Weissmann 🌻 (@AWeissmann_) October 12, 2022
Deja vu?
The focus on obstruction among Trump’s detractors echoes the anticlimactic ending of the Russian collusion saga. At the time, Trump’s critics sharply pivoted to accusing him of obstructing Mueller’s probe after that investigation failed to find evidence of collusion.
It remains to be seen whether the pattern will repeat itself, but interestingly, the Washington Post’s own Aaron Blake drew a direct connection between the Russian collusion hoax and the Mar-A-Lago episode, saying Trump “didn’t learn” from his brush with Mueller.
It’s still not clear what was in the documents Trump took, but insiders at the Justice Department have leaked hints to the media.
Just another sham?
Trump has sought to bring oversight to the DOJ’s probe, citing its continuing leaks as well as the extraordinary nature of an investigation into a former president, but the government has fought transparency in the name of national security. The Supreme Court denied an appeal from Trump on Thursday.
There is also speculation mounting that Hunter Biden will be charged, but Trump has dismissed the talk as a “charade” and a pretext to go after him.
No American president has ever been charged, and any indictments that might be brought against Trump would doubtless deepen America’s national divide — not that his critics seem to care.