In a somewhat comical turn of events, Joe Biden has found himself caught up in his own scandal surrounding the improper possession and handling of classified documents. That comes after the current president chastised Donald Trump last year for much the same thing, asserting that he didn’t understand how anyone could “be that irresponsible.”
As RedState reported, no less than 10 classified documents were found at the Penn Biden Center in an office used by the now-president before he entered the White House. Because the Penn Biden Center wasn’t even founded until 2018, it is clear that the documents were transported there during a period when Biden did not have the legal authority to have them.
Naturally, Democrats and their press allies set out to move the goalposts. In fact, they’ve been uprooted and tossed into the sea at this point. According to them, what Biden did is “different” because, though he possessed the documents, he didn’t try to “obstruct” the National Archives from retrieving them.
Here’s Sen. Dick Durbin playing that game.
I applaud POTUS & AG for their professional, nonpartisan handling of this situation.
Unlike Trump, who allegedly obstructed efforts to recover hundreds of classified docs, the handful of classified docs reportedly found at Biden Center were immediately sent to Natl Archives. https://t.co/l4n2rum6AM— Senator Dick Durbin (@SenatorDurbin) January 10, 2023
Of course, the documents were not “immediately” sent to the Archives. Rather, they were held for six years, moved at least twice, and were only reported after the 2022 election despite them being “found” beforehand. So is the standard now that it’s fine for someone to illegally possess classified documents as long as they turn them in when they feel like it? In this case, the timeline ensured minimum political fallout.
The left is also asserting that what Biden did is no big deal because it was an “accident.” Was it, though? That’s highly debatable, and they sure weren’t alright with that being used as an excuse for Trump.
Who amongst us hasn't accidentally moved classified materials? pic.twitter.com/8jSPZIdNHw
— Jason Campbell (@JasonSCampbell) August 16, 2022
So is it improbable that someone could have classified documents without knowing it, which was the line with Trump, or is that a valid excuse for Biden? Inquiring minds and all that.
Trump thought the US government was “his” as president. He thought the military was his. DOJ was his personal law firm. The military was his. The Secret Service. Air Force One. And classified documents. Those things belong to us. We the people. His arrogance will be his downfall.
— Ron Filipkowski 🇺🇦 (@RonFilipkowski) August 9, 2022
Hey, remember when Donald Trump stole highly classified documents?
— Rick Wilson (@TheRickWilson) November 13, 2022
i'm sure Trump mishandling highly classified information and endangering human sources will at the very least disqualify him from holding future office among Republicans, who are very serious about national security
— Aaron Rupar (@atrupar) August 26, 2022
When the raid occurred on Mar-a-Lago, the narrative was that it was a crime for Trump to be in possession of the classified documents. There was no leeway given for it being an accident or in regard to cooperation. The “obstruction” angle only came about later when it was revealed that the National Archives had been fighting with Trump’s lawyers over them.
Given that, the same standard should apply now, right? Biden illegally had classified documents, and it being an “accident” doesn’t change the law on the matter. Further, he did not have declassification authority the way Trump did when he was leaving office.
To be frank, I don’t buy for a second that this was an accident. A person doesn’t accidentally take classified documents, move them multiple times, and lock them into a closet. This whole “oh, we just found these documents” line is highly suspicious. They “found” them just in time to wipe the slate clean after an election and before Biden announces his 2024, run? Yeah, I bet.
Regardless, it is those on the left who have assured us that intent doesn’t matter in this case. The receipts are all there, and they are proving rather awkward.
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