Trump Is Upset the Feds Took a Pic of Top Secret Docs on His Fancy Carpet

The Department of Justice alleged in a filing on Tuesday that former President Trump’s team at Mar-a-Lago may have intentionally concealed or moved classified documents at the premises during an earlier phase of the investigation leading up to the Aug. 8 raid.

Trump took to Truth Social to voice his displeasure over the FBI having taken evidentiary photos of the documents, including one of several documents with classification cover pages spread out on the carpet. The former president claimed it was “lucky” he had already declassified the documents, an assertion that has little evidence to back it up, while criticizing the FBI for placing the documents “haphazardly” on the floor.

According to the filing, the Aug. 8 raid led to the discovery of 13 more boxes of material at Mar-a-Lago, containing 100 additional classified documents, including “CONFIDENTIAL” and “TOP SECRET” designations. Three classified documents were found in the desk of Trump’s personal office. Some of the documents contained a HCS/HUMINT control system designations, which serves to protect sensitive information from human sources. The findings directly contradict assertions (and a sworn affidavit) from Trump’s legal team in June that no documents remained at Mar-a-Lago. 

The DOJ also revealed that some of the material collected at Mar-a-Lago was so sensitive that it required investigators to seek additional security clearances before being able to review it. 

The brief was filed as a response to Trump’s request to have a “special master” appointed by the court to determine what documents the DOJ could review, citing classifications and disputes over presidential privilege. Trump’s legal team waited until two weeks after the raid to file the motion to appoint the “special master.” In a separate filing, the DOJ revealed that in the interim period they had “identified a limited set of materials that potentially contain attorney-client privileged information, completed its review of those materials, and is in the process of following the procedures […] to address potential privilege disputes, if any.”

The DOJ wrote in the filing late Tuesday that a “special master” is unnecessary and “would significantly harm important governmental interests.”

Trump has reacted to the development of the investigation with desperation. As Rolling Stone previously reported, the former president has demanded his lawyers recover the seized documents. On Monday, the former president began an extended frenzy of posting on social media, calling for an immediate re-do of the 2020 election and, on Tuesday morning, boosting QAnon accounts on his Truth Social page.