Trump calls NARA 'radical left group,' says they could've 'stuffed' the boxes during Mar-a-Lago document raid

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Donald Trump: We don't have respect anymore

Former President Donald Trump defends himself against allegations he mishandled classified documents on 'Special Report.'

Former President Donald Trump on Monday slammed the National Archives and Records Administration (NARA) as a "radical left group" and suggested that they could have "stuffed" the boxes during their raid on Mar-a-Lago last summer in an exclusive interview with Fox News' Bret Baier.

In his first TV interview since he was indicted on federal charges over his handling of classified materials, Trump characterized himself as a victim of a "weaponized" White House and maintained his innocence while repeatedly turning the focus to President Biden and the classified documents found in his possession.

TRUMP ADDRESSES RELUCTANCE TO HAND OVER DOCUMENTS IN FIRST INTERVIEW SINCE INDICTMENT

At one point, a defiant Trump took aim at NARA, telling Baier that he is concerned they may have "stuffed" the boxes of documents after raiding Mar-a-Lago because they did not allow him or anyone from his team in the room when they were retrieving classified materials at his home last August.

Former President Donald Trump sat down with Fox News host Bret Baier in his first interview since he was indicted on federal charges concerning his handling of classified documents. (AP Photo/Yuki Iwamura)

"We were discussing with NARA giving them back. All of a sudden we got raided…what I’m concerned about [is] they took everything. Right? I don’t know what they took," Trump told Baier. "They could be stuffing it. I don’t know what they put in there. And we wanted to be there when they were taking [the boxes]. They wouldn’t let anybody in the room. They have never treated a president like this," he said.

After a tense back and forth with Baier on his reluctance to cooperate with NARA, Trump said he was waiting until he had time to sort through the boxes of documents, adding that some of his personal items including "golf shirts" and "shoes" were packed in the same boxes because he left the White House "in a hurry."

"Like every other president, I take things out. And in my case, I took it out pretty much in a hurry. But people packed it up and we left. I had clothing in there I had all sorts of personal items in there much, much stuff," he said.

"I had boxes. I want[ed] to go through the boxes and get all my personal things out. I don't want to hand that over to NARA yet. And I was very busy as you've sort of seen," he later added.

Trump slammed the National Archives as a "radical left group." ( Sarah Silbiger for The Washington Post via Getty Images)

Baier noted that according to the indictment, Trump directed his aide to move the documents to another location after NARA obtained a DOJ subpoena citing his refusal to turn over classified materials. Baier said that although Trump insisted he fully complied with the subpoena, the indictment suggests "you hadn't."

Trump, did not challenge Baier on the assertion, but maintained that he was waiting to hand over the boxes of documents until he had time to "take all of my things out."

"Before I send boxes over, I have to take all of my things out," Trump replied. "These boxes were interspersed with all sorts of things, gold shirts, clothing, pants shoes, there were many things."

"Iran war plans?" Baier interjected, referencing a 2021 recording of Trump seemingly admitting to having held on to a classified document about a potential military strike against Iran.

Trump denied having a document relating to Iran war plans, insisting that he was not referring to a specific document on the recording, but was speaking generally about newspaper clippings and articles "talking about Iran and other things."

Trump said he has ‘zero’ concern about his legal defense in the classified documents case. (SUZANNE CORDEIRO/AFP via Getty Images)

"Bret, there was no document. That was a massive amount of papers and everything else, talking about Iran and other things. And it may have been held up or may not. That was not a document. I didn’t have any document per se. There was nothing to declassify, these were newspaper stories, magazine stories, and articles," he said.

TRUMP'S INDICTMENT IS NOT THE SLAM DUNK CASE LIBERAL MEDIA THINKS IT IS

The indictment listed 31 classified documents that were allegedly in Trump's possession pertaining to the nuclear capabilities of foreign countries and military intelligence briefings on foreign countries, Baier noted.

"Why do you want to hold on to those documents after you are president?" he asked.

"I don’t say I do," Trump replied, adding that he "wouldn't have kept" the documents but was raided by NARA amid ongoing conversations between his team and the group.

As for the merit of the indictment, Trump said he has "zero" concern about his legal standing, telling Baier that his defense rests primarily with the Presidential Records Act (PRA) and the ruling in the Bill Clinton sock case, which he believes set a precedent for past presidents "to keep whatever he wants." 

"That includes me. This is not a criminal case," Trump told Baier. "Every good lawyer has said it."

"The question is highly classified government national security documents fall in that category and that battle is going to be fought in the courts," Baier said.
 

The former president was indicted on 37 federal counts, including willful retention of national defense information, conspiracy to obstruct justice and false statements. ((Photo by Drew Angerer/Getty Images))

Trump, who pled not guilty to 37 federal counts earlier this month, proceeded to dismiss the indictment as "a weaponization of politics" and the White House, adding that it was "a horrible thing that was done" to him and to the country.

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"Our country is sick. It’s sick," he later told Baier. "We have people that will do anything and it’s a very sad thing, like the document hoax. This should have never been brought. We are in the middle of a political campaign and they want to arrest the opponent who is leading the person that’s in theory in charge of government? This stuff shouldn’t happen."

When pressed, Trump said he no longer has highly sensitive government documents in his possession, telling Baier,"I don’t have anything."

Earlier this month, the former president was indicted on 37 federal counts, including willful retention of national defense information, conspiracy to obstruct justice and false statements.

Watch part two of the exclusive interview on "Special Report," on Tuesday, June 20th at 6:00pm ET.