Raskin: Recording shows ‘clear understanding’ Trump did not ‘magically’ declassify documents

Rep. Jamie Raskin (D-Md.) said Sunday an audio recording reportedly obtained by the Justice Department (DOJ) shows former President Trump had a “clear understanding” that he did not “magically” declassify documents taken from the White House, as the DOJ continues its probe into Trump’s classified document handling.

“Apparently, the recording also reflects Donald Trump’s knowledge that he had not declassified the document, so he knew that it was still classified. And that’s an additional element of importance to this recording,” Raskin said on CNN’s “State of the Union.”

“For a while at least, there was a half-hearted effort to claim, by Donald Trump, that he could just magically declassify, telepathically or mentally. And this seems to reflect his clear understanding that he had not declassified this document and that it was still classified,” he said.

CNN reported last week that the DOJ had obtained an audio recording that reportedly includes 2021 comments from Trump at his golf club in Bedminster, N.J., about a document that details a potential U.S. attack on Iran.

According to the report, Trump’s remarks in the recording indicate he understood he still held onto classified materials after the end of his White House term.

Raskin said Sunday that he thinks the reported tape could have “a lot” of impact on the DOJ’s case, “because I think a key ingredient in determining the intent with which a person acts is consciousness of guilt.”

“And if a person acts with consciousness of their own guilt or consciousness of their own potential wrongdoing, that demonstrates that, if they go forward nonetheless, there’s intent. And my understanding is that there were hundreds of documents taken. Many of them were classified. Some of them were top secret. And yet they were deliberately withheld,” Raskin said.

If special counsel Jack Smith has information to that end, Raskin said, “that’s very serious business.”

The federal grand jury hearing evidence in the DOJ’s classified document inquiry is expected to meet again this week, NBC News reported Sunday.

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