One of the darkest and most terrifying actions Donald Trump took as he left office was to hold close the Top-Secret files that he hid and then inexplicably continued to hold over the proper owner: the U.S. government. He did keep those files even after it became obvious that it had become a serious “thing,” when people knew the files were sensitive, and he took all action to keep them anyway. It was such that any neutral person had to ask themselves the jarring question: “Why did he need those files so badly as to keep them at all expense?” Trump’s history points only to one explanation – he’s spent his entire life in pursuit of money and thus the files had to have value as currency at some level. New reports indicate just how broad and deep that level may be.
Former U.K. top Russian spy Christopher Steele writes in a new book that he has “impeccable sources” who report that Trump took some of the highest British naval secrets to exist. From The Guardian addressing the matter:
“I was reliably informed by impeccable sources that among the classified documents which Trump, apparently unauthorizedly, took with him to Mar-a-Lago at the end of his presidency were British naval secrets, some of the most sensitive ones in our governmental system,” Steele writes.
It is not surprising that the United States would have access to and keep such sensitive material. The second strongest military in the NATO alliance would have to coordinate naval operations with the strongest partner – the United States. What is shocking is that Trump believed these files to be so valuable to him post-presidency. One can say a lot of things about Trump but there is absolutely no way to innocently explain why he would keep such material – assuming momentarily that he did so.
Donald Trump is not a naval historian – he doesn’t even particularly like the military. He absolutely has no affection for NATO, no interest in seeing the alliance succeed, and the realization brings on the horror because Trump’s visceral disdain for NATO exists as the most telling reason that he might keep such files. No one wants NATO disbanded more than Trump’s close friend, Vladimir Putin.
One doesn’t want to make the accusation without rock solid proof – and that doesn’t publicly exist but the revelation is kind of “random” in a sense and if we assume its truth. For now the ever-reliable Occam would tell us that Trump planned on trading those secrets to Putin for favors – whether financial or political. Perhaps both, but we don’t know if it’s true and for now the accusation is being denied:
In a statement sent to the Guardian after this story was published on Tuesday, a spokesperson for the British Ministry of Defence said of Steele’s comments about naval secrets taken to Mar-a-Lago: “These claims are untrue.”
Okay. The U.K.’s defense service says that the report isn’t true – and that is absolutely possible. However, it’s also best to acknowledge two realities that are equally possible. First – the the department may not actually know if Trump had the documents, perhaps the U.S. is keeping the exact files secret even from the U.K. out of fear of the revelation. Or – second, it’s possible that the U.K. would deny the matter anyway under any circumstances – which they absolutely would. It is impossible to picture a statement which read: “Yes, the Ministry of Defense knows and acknowledges that Donald Trump did indeed take naval secrets to Florida.” That possibility is less likely than the chance of this being false.
The other thing to mention – and this is also breathtaking if it’s concentrated on – this should be the basis of an explosive trial of a former-president who may have been a traitorous spy and not a possible next president. At other times in other places, indeed in other times here – the very act of keeping these secrets long after even a subpoena was issued would be front page news through the biggest trial in the Western World’s history. Save the Nuremberg.
Instead, one of Trump’s favorite judges in Federal District Court Judge Aileen Cannon dismissed the case based on a doctrine that gave the president alone immunity for official acts. Smith has appealed and it’s impossible to consider a case more likely to be overturned… Overturned but that’s presuming that the Justice Department’s independent prosecutor is still allowed to go forward. That case is ongoing – it just gets no attention. Breathtaking.
Let’s say it again. A case involving an ex-president keeping Top-Secret Special Access files, some perhaps involving NATO naval secrets, some including top American secrets, all by a president who has always shown an inexplicable affinity for Vladimir Putin, one of our most bitter adversaries who wants NATO disbanded, that case is no longer in the papers – it’s no longer in the trial court! It’s on appeal, as the guy who personally took those secrets is 50-50 to be elected the next president.
It is stunning. And even though we cannot know with certainty if Steele is right, we do know that Steele accused Russia of assisting Donald Trump in the last election and it turned out to be true. He was at least accurate then. We could hope not now but the damage is likely already done.
That’s another reality. If Trump ever held such files – they’re likely already handed over. it’s Trump’s baseline to try to maximize everything at top value. Even at the expense of others. Many others.
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I will believe Christopher Steele over Trump any day of the week.
What this tells me is that there WAS credible evidence of mutual cooperation between Putin/Russia and Trump. Naturally the intelligence services wanted to protect sources and methods but couldn’t deny Trump’s direct order to produce what they had. I doubt he kept a copy. He simply found a way to get it to his pal Pootie.
One can only hope that some in the intel community foresaw this possibility and that there was some serious disinformation in that binder that went missing. It would have been a marvelous chance to conduct a counter-operation. However, they might not have been as prepared as they should have and wound up handing (via Trump) Putin an intelligence gold mine.
I don’t need “rock solid” evidence to know exactly what von shitzinpants did with those British military secrets. I have knowledge enough from his past doings and dealing-in fact, too damned much. Those military secrets are in vlad’s hands right now (and who knows who else). It was either a direct transaction for a lot of money or it was for the promise of a safe harbor when all of his crimes catch up to him and he needs to go on the lam.
no doubt he used it as toilet paper when he found out that the late Queen Elizabeth spit into his tea.
A cigarette and blindfold is in order.
I wonder if we’ll ever know the extent of the material tRump made off with, and where did it end up. It’s a safe guess that some of it has ended up with Putin, who probably encouraged DonOld to steal all the documents he could get his little hands on in the first place. He’s a traitor and I hope we can finally get the truth of it nailed down and put him in front of a firing squad. He deserves nothing less
And if this is true doesn’t that mean that “Judge” Cannon and the SC “Justices” who basically backed her up, are accessories after the fact?