On Thursday (May 18), former Attorney General Bill Barr said in an interview with CBS that the investigation into former President Donald Trump’s handling of classified documents could leave the former President feeling “very exposed.”
Barr asserted it was “very clear” that Trump should not have had access to the classified documents found at his Mar-a-Lago residence last year.
Trump’s handling of the classified documents is being investigated by special counsel Jack Smith, who is also leading another federal investigation into Trump’s efforts to undermine the 2020 election.
Speaking to CBS’s Catherine Herridge, Barr explained Trump’s guilt doesn’t hinge on “intent or anything like that,” adding, “it’s very clear that he had no business” being in possession of the documents.
Barr also highlighted how Trump had been “given a long time,” including when they were subpoenaed.
The former Attorney General shared his long-held belief that Trump wouldn’t get in trouble for having the documents in his possession like President Joe Biden or former Vice President Mike Pence wouldn’t get in trouble.
However, he insisted where Trump differs from Biden and Pence is what the former President did “after the government asked for them back and subpoenaed them,” suggesting that if games were played, Trump would be left “very exposed.”
Classified documents were also found late last year and earlier this year in President Joe Biden’s private residence in Delaware and former Vice President Mike Pence’s home in Indiana, raising concerns about the handling of classified documents after a public official leaves office.
