The writer of the letter “Trump deserves 4th Amendment protection” (June 22, TribLIVE) employs the usual fallacies of the right wing in defense of former President Trump keeping secret documents. According to the Presidential Records Act, which he cites, they must be returned to the government upon leaving office (classified or not). They are the property of the U.S. government.

Trump violated the law, and, because he proudly showed them off to at least two people who didn’t have proper clearance, I would call him a traitor. Especially if he sold them to Putin or his buddy in North Korea, whom he said he is in love with. That remains to be seen. If that turns out to be true, I wonder if the letter-writer would still support him.

He also mentions the Fourth Amendment, against “unreasonable” searches. The key word here is “unreasonable.” Trump was asked several times to return the documents, and he didn’t, falsely claiming he had a right to them. Or the nonsense about declassifying them by thinking about it. Classified or not, he was holding and showing top secrets pertaining to the security of the country, so, if that search wasn’t reasonable, I don’t know what is.

It never ceases to amaze me when I see otherwise intelligent people blindly support a man I believe is a crook, con man and general buffoon.

Al Duerig

Salem

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