The former president’s comments came as he has repeatedly claimed he declassified classified and top secret documents he took with him to his Florida home after leaving the White House in 2021, amid a Justice Department investigation into his handling of classified material. “There doesn’t need to be a process, as I understand it,” Trump told Fox News host Sean Hannity. “If you’re the president of the United States, you can declassify just by saying, ‘It’s declassified.’ Even if I think about it.’ “There can be a process, but there doesn’t have to be. You are the president. You make that decision. So when you send it, it’s declassified,” Trump added. “I marked everything” Although presidents have broad authority to declassify records, doing so sets off a chain of events as the intelligence agencies that manage such records must take additional steps. Trump and some of his allies have insisted that the former president declassified all the documents he took with him when he left the White House. The FBI searched his Mar-a-Lago property last month after a search in January turned up dozens of secret, classified and top secret documents. Trump’s lawyers in a filing last week repeatedly noted that he had the authority to declassify records, but did not say that he had actually done so, despite a month since the former president issued the excuse. The Justice Department responded by pointing out that Trump’s legal team hinted, but not fully, that Trump had declassified the documents. Lawmakers point to financial returns on mental health investments Here are the 14 House Republicans who backed the spousal student loan bill Trump told Hannity that the General Services Administration (GSA) and other White House staff were involved in packing boxes at the end of his tenure with photos, newspaper articles and other materials. GSA, however, says its role in the transition phase for the outgoing president and vice president includes IT support, financial management, parking, furniture, vehicles, office equipment and administrative support. “GSA also works with the National Archives and Records Administration (NARA) as needed to provide support to former Presidents in establishing and maintaining their libraries,” the agency says on its website. “These services are provided only in the event of a change of Administration.”
