Fox News analyst Brit Hume said Monday that former President Trump’s defense for keeping classified documents was borderline “incoherent.”
“His answers on the matter of the law seem to verge on incoherent,” Hume said after a portion of Trump’s interview with Fox anchor Bret Baier aired on the network.
“He seemed to be saying the documents were really his and he didn’t give them back when he was requested to do so, and when they were subpoenaed because he wasn’t ready to because he hadn’t sorted them or whatever from his golf shirts,” Hume said. “It was not altogether clear what he was saying, but he seemed to believe that the documents were his, that he had declassified them and therefore he could do whatever he wanted with them.”
Hume cast doubt on the idea that Trump’s explanation would hold up in court.
In his first interview since being arraigned last week on federal charges, Trump claimed he had not had time to go through boxes filled with classified documents, while simultaneously suggesting he had declassified any sensitive materials.
“Why not just hand them over then?” Baier asked.
“Because I had boxes. I want to go through the boxes and get all my personal things out,” Trump responded. “I don’t want to hand that over to [the National Archives] yet. And I was very busy, as you’ve sort of seen.”
Baier noted that the Justice Department’s indictment laid out how Trump allegedly told an aide to move this boxes containing classified documents at his Mar-a-Lago estate while also telling his lawyers to indicate he was cooperating.
“Before I send boxes over, I have to take all of my things out,” Trump said. “These boxes were interspersed with all sorts of things, golf shirts, clothing, pants, shoes, there were many things.”
Trump pleaded not guilty last Tuesday to charges on 37 counts following a Department of Justice indictment alleging he violated the Espionage Act and obstructed justice in taking classified records from his presidency and refusing to return them.
The indictment alleged that Trump kept the documents in various rooms of his Mar-a-Lago club in Florida, which frequently hosted large events and gatherings with members of the public. It also alleged Trump on two separate occasions at his New Jersey club spoke about specific classified materials with staffers who did not have security clearances.