Greg Kelly, a host on Newsmax, has raised concerns about how the mainstream media has portrayed former President Donald Trump’s alleged possession of classified documents. Kelly believes that both the media and the Justice Department have exaggerated the situation by showing images of numerous boxes filled with documents. In reality, the actual number of classified documents found could easily fit into a single box with plenty of room to spare.
This suggests that the media’s portrayal of Trump is sensationalized, filled with exaggeration, and based on false information in an attempt to make viewers believe that Trump had a much larger number of documents than he actually possessed.
In August 2022, the FBI conducted a search of Trump’s Mar-a-Lago residence with a warrant approved by the U.S. Attorney General. The purpose of the search was to investigate Trump’s alleged violations of the Espionage Act and obstruction of government activity. While the FBI did find over 13,000 government documents, it was determined that many of them were not classified. Only around 100-350 of the documents were actually classified. In June 2023, Trump was indicted on federal charges related to these documents, and he pleaded not guilty to all 37 charges.
Under President Joe Biden’s administration, the Justice Department has indicted Trump and is seeking to imprison him for life, despite the lack of evidence suggesting that Trump endangered the country through the content of the documents. This aspect is a crucial element of the Espionage Act.
Special counsel Jack Smith, who has had conflicts of interest in the past, alleges that Trump violated the Espionage Act and committed other crimes, potentially leading to several hundred years of imprisonment. Democrats and their media allies have embraced this exaggerated witch hunt, showcasing images of rooms filled with boxes on television and online platforms.
On “The View,” one of the co-hosts had an extreme reaction to the number of boxes, indicating an unsettling obsession. Online partisans have shared DOJ images implying that Trump hid government secrets in a Florida bathroom by packing a U-Haul truck.
However, Kelly has contradicted these sensational claims, providing evidence that the boxes lack relevant documents. The actual number of classified documents could fit in one box with plenty of space. Reports indicate that fewer than a few hundred classified documents were found, making the presence of multiple moving trucks unlikely.
The Washington Post has also reported on the FBI’s findings from the search of Trump’s residence, Mar-a-Lago, last summer. Archivists discovered 197 classified documents, including highly sensitive ones, within the boxes. These findings led to the recent unsealing of a 38-count indictment against Trump and his trusted associate, Walt Nauta.
