Trump Had Mad Paper

 

It would be a little breath-taking to consider literally any president but Trump having the National Archives come down to his home to search for and carry away improperly taken documents and other items. Somehow, with Trump, the response is something like "Well of course!" If he wasn't ripping it up or shredding it or putting it in bags to be burned by the Pentagon, what else would he do with his papers? Properly store them for reference and posterity in a way mandated by law? Give me a break!

It's not that he didn't know that these documents were supposed to be preserved. (I have a scenario flash in my head of aides furiously doing "rock, paper scissors" over who has to go in this time to tell the boss the "No rippy, no eatey" rule.) It's that he doesn't care. When he was president, he figured the government itself and the rules thereof were for him, not the people, and that went right down to what to do with his papers. 

Now, I could care less that he kept the Weather Service map that he amended with a Sharpie marker to include Alabama in the path of a hurricane--even though I think it made him look like a bit of a dolt, maybe he found that episode amusing. But what other sorts of documents might be found in fifteen entire boxes (and probably counting) of boosted materiel? Might any of it be sensitive material? Does he believe (provided he maintains the actual delusion that he did win the 2020 election, and isn't just faking) that some information exists that he can declassify when out of office? 

Is any of it being held so as to be unavailable to the new administration whose turnover he delayed? Like a nasty little information grenade?

Maybe he wanted to sell certain docs? It wouldn't be out of the question for a cash-poor reality show billionaire with declining business and mounting debt. Would it? The possibility of mischief abounds, but the likelihood of also covering up evidence in any kind of conspiracy (especially regarding one or both of his impeachments) can't be ruled out, And there are definitely penalties for these paper chase shenanigans. 

I also wonder a bit about what items ("gifts") might have been taken. I think keeping anything in excess of $400 is supposed to be paid back? Some folks on the internet speculated that Trump even took furniture with him, but is he really that kind of guy?  (One does wonder.) I'm just saying, it wouldn't even shock me if Trump, having lost an election, decided the best part of being a contestant at all on America's big political game show was getting parting gifts. You know.

Consolation prizes. It's just that official documents are not a suite of Samsonite luggage and a lifetime supply of Rice-a-Roni.  

And yes, I really think that his taking documents he had no business having, and destroying documents he had no business destroying, should amount to charges. It isn't the sexy big perp-walk people want, but hey, if something better comes up, just let DOJ put it on his tab. In the meanwhile, this not-so-shocking thing from Trump displays a disturbing pattern along with his other obvious incidents of obstruction of justice and above-the-law arrogance. It should be taken seriously because it is serious, and it looks bad because it is bad.