Executive Opinion Editor
Marley Brennan
On Aug. 8, the FBI was granted a warrant to raid Donald Trump’s Mar-a-Lago home where 42 empty folders marked “return to staff secretary/military aide” were uncovered. Trump’s retainment of these documents after his term had ended has resulted in concerns regarding the trust in government officials.
Mar-a-Lago is a resort/club located in Palm Beach, Florida, that Trump purchased in 1985. The recovered documents spawned an intense investigation tracing back to when Trump left office in January 2021. Top secret operations are kept classified with as little as 12 officials, including the President. Additionally, an official is typically given the responsibility to track the whereabouts of a given operation and carefully ensure its privacy.
Per the Protection of Government Property law, Trump’s alleged actions of taking documents and storing them at the Mar-a-Lago is illegal. According to the Washington Post, the most recent poll taken regarding his actions reveal that 60 to 80% of Americans believe that the measures he has taken were either unethical or illegal. As the intricate investigation continues, revealing more stolen documents, the percentage of people accusing Trump of being in the wrong is increasing.
According to the New York Times, no president of the United States has ever been criminally prosecuted after his term has ended. His actions should be looked at just as closely as anyone else. Though prosecution could bring up consequent issues, letting Trump get away with handling top secret documents will set a substandard expectation in future presidential judicial interactions.
Per Vanity Fair, Trump winning the election in 2024 would be disastrous for the government. Trump has announced that, assuming he wins the election, he will become an absolute dictator. America’s government is democratic, and with another power-hungry official entering the system, trust will be faulty. Within his term, he refocused national security to powerful competitions with neighboring nations. This has shifted the viewpoint as a nation from protecting the people on a defensive mindset to a more offensive motive, further weakening our overall privacy.
Some argue that because the information within the documents has yet to be revealed, there is no reason for alarm. However, with this criminal incident on top of countless others, it urges the public to question the authority of the U.S. government and the officials that the public elects to serve the country. During and after Trump’s term, he has managed to find the faults within the system and pursue them, adding more uncertainty within the government, making it continuously unpredictable.
The search warrant granted against Trump has produced distress within Americans as far as trust within the government and justice systems go. This event, following many others, further exemplifies the detrimental effects Trump’s second term would exhibit in America. His supporters are incredibly persistent, which emphasizes the urge to persecute against his illegal actions and catastrophic goals.
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