Former President Donald Trump blasted Democrats and complained that the House select committee investigating the Capitol attack is "just a game to these politicians" after President Joe Biden declined to invoke executive privilege on Trump's behalf.
Trump sent a letter to the National Archive and Records Administration on Friday to "formally assert executive privilege" and block the committee from seeking records related to his administration. The ex-president warned that he would "take all necessary and appropriate steps to defend the Office of the Presidency." Trump issued an accompanying statement complaining that "drunk on power" Democrats were playing "a game" by seeking to "persecute" him.
"The Radical Left Democrats tried the RUSSIA Witch Hunt, they tried the fake impeachments, and now they are trying once again to use Congress to persecute their political opponents," Trump said in the statement. "Their requests are not based in law or reality—it's just a game to these politicians. They don't care about our Country or the American people. The Democrats are drunk on power, but this dangerous assault on our Constitution and important legal precedent will not work."
"This Committee's fake investigation is not about January 6th any more than the Russia Hoax was about Russia," he added. "Instead, this is about using the power of the government to silence 'Trump' and our Make America Great Again movement, the greatest such achievement of all time."
Trump repeated his false claim that he "won two elections," claiming he had done "far better in the second than the first." Though Trump received more votes in 2020 than in 2016—getting over 74 million votes and 232 electoral votes—it was not enough to beat Biden, with over 81 million votes and 306 electoral votes.
He also hinted that he would attempt to win a non-consecutive second term in 2024 by saying "we may have to do it a third time!" Trump insisted that the committee was an attempt by the Biden administration to "deflect blame," saying that "Biden and the Democrats don't want you to see how badly America is losing due to their incompetence."
"My administration, and the great patriots who worked on behalf of the American people, will not be intimidated," Trump said. "We will not allow Biden or the Radical Democrats to get off without accepting blame for their incompetence or failures. I will always fight for America First, and the Constitution. Together, we will Make America Great Again, Again!"
As a former president, it is not clear that Trump retains the executive privilege needed to block the committee from obtaining the documents or witness testimony. However, Biden's executive privilege as a sitting president is not in doubt and he is likely to reject Trump's assertion, possibly prompting a legal challenge from the former president.
Current White House Counsel Dana Remus also sent a letter to the National Archives on Friday, writing that "President Biden has determined that an assertion of executive privilege is not in the best interests of the United States, and therefore is not justified as to any of the documents."
Newsweek reached out to the White House and the office of January 6th Select Committee Chairman Rep. Bennie Thompson (D-Miss.) for comment.
Uncommon Knowledge
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Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground.
About the writer
Aila Slisco is a Newsweek night reporter based in New York. Her focus is on reporting national politics, where she ... Read more
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