Fox News Host Floats Possibility Trump Tried to 'Sell' Classified Documents
By: Newsweek
S E E D E D C O N T E N T
Fox News anchor Eric Shawn floated the possibility that former President Donald Trump may have tried to "sell" classified documents to Russia or Saudi Arabia.
The FBI executed a search warrant at Trump's Mar-a-Lago resort residence on Monday in search of top secret and sensitive compartmentalized information, as well as other classified documents. The Washington Post reported Thursday that information regarding nuclear weapons was believed to be among the documents sought by federal agents, and a Russian-state television host said officials in Moscow have already studied the records. Trump described the report regarding nuclear weapons documents as a "hoax."
In a Sunday Fox News broadcast, Shawn interviewed former intelligence officer and Russian expert Rebekah Koffler. At the start of the segment, the Fox News anchor raised questions about what Trump may have done with the classified materials.
Fox News anchor Eric Shawn interviews former intelligence officer Rebekah Koffler about former President Donald Trump keeping classified documents at Mar-a-Lago during a Sunday segment.Screenshot/Fox News
Shawn, citing reports, said that intelligence officials reportedly feared "either the material was being mishandled or even possibly illegally transferred...to others."
"And more questions are being raised this morning. Did former President Trump try to sell [or] share the highly classified material to the Russians or to the Saudis, or others? Or were the documents innocently mishandled and stored because he thought he had a legal right to have them?" the Fox News anchor asked.
Koffler weighed in with her perspective, saying that Trump's Florida home as a storage for such documents presents a "counterintelligence nightmare."
"The real question, Eric, is what Russian President Putin has already done?" Koffler said. "The truth is the United States is the top target for KGB operative Putin and his spy services." She added that that Mar-a-Lago "is a counterintelligence nightmare, meaning that spies from all over the world—Russia, China and beyond—are always on the hunt to lay their hands on top secret information, especially something that is related to nuclear warfare doctrine."
"The fact that those boxes were not secure is a really grave concern," she said.
Russia Claims to Have Seen the Documents
Russian media personalities have defended Trump and also said that the classified documents were reviewed by Moscow officials. Last week, during the Russian TV news program 60 Minutes, military expert Igor Korotchenko echoed Trump's assessment of the FBI raid, calling it a "witch hunt." Korotchenko said that "as the most popular politician in the United States" Trump was "chosen as such a witch."
"They won't just be vilifying him, they will be strangling him. These raids, involving dozens of FBI officers and police dogs...This is a symbol of inordinate despotism," the Russian military expert added.
Over the weekend during a segment on a state-owned Russia-1 television channel, a host discussed the raid and said Russians had access to the documents seized from Mar-a-Lago.
"Turns out that the investigation against Trump has to do with the disappearance of secret documents from the White House, related to the development of nuclear weapons by the U.S.," host Evgeny Popov said. "The FBI isn't saying what kinds of weapons, or what they found in Trump's estate. Obviously, if there were any important documents, they've been studying them in Moscow for a while."
Trump Defends Himself
Trump has rejected reporting that there was information about nuclear weapons held at his Florida residence.
"Nuclear weapons issue is a Hoax, just like Russia, Russia, Russia was a Hoax, two Impeachments were a Hoax, the Mueller investigation was a Hoax, and much more. Same sleazy people involved," the former president wrote in a post on his Truth Social platform early Friday morning.
The former president has described the Justice Department probe and the FBI search as a "scam."
"Like all of the other Hoaxes and Scams that they've used to try and silence the voice of a vast majority of the American People, I have TRUTH on my side, and when you have TRUTH, you will ultimately be victorious!" he wrote Saturday on Truth Social.
Newsweek reached out to Trump's press office for comment.
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Too funny.
"I have truth on my side"
Trump has NEVER had truth on his side!
Trump and the truth have never even met.
So Faux "news" is actually going to tell the truth now? That will be a switch!
Even they are afraid to be seen supporting a possible Russian spy.
Arent you embarrassed to support someone the Russians support?
Wrong. Your words are always your embarrassment when it comes to Trump.
Aren’t you embarrassed to have not volunteered to fight Soviets/Russians if needed?
I don’t have that problem either.
Keep supporting Trump like you have, history will bury you.
“…history will bury you.”
The neo-know nothings…
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Nope, no dogs, no "battle rattle as claimed elsewhere. Just a few guys in business suits and 30
something agents in shorts and tee shirts per Trumps own attorney.
FBI business suit in the Biden Admin:
Evil black guns, load bearing vest/plates with extra mags and backup handguns.
Those golfers at Mar-a-largo must be dynamite.
Here, fixed it for you. Clearly Secret Service personnel and vehicle at the gates where they belong.
Mar-A-Lago Raid Fallout, Sunday On Life, Liberty and Levin (rumble.com)
You're welcome.
BTW the club is closed in the summer, no golfing.
Word is that management is too cheap to risk damaging the grass or the greens.
WTF?
Another Secret Service vehicle, agent and the box van.
Mar-a-Lago raid: What we know so far about the search of former President Donald Trump's home and Florida resort | Business Insider India
I take it from your silence that you admit you were incorrect.
The Country Club is closed during the summer,
the excuse is that it's too hot to golf/s
[Deleted]
That said, if you really believe the FBI showed up with no heavy firepower to “collect boxes” I can’t really help you. Nothing new there.
Why would the FBI Evidence Recovery Team need any more than a side arm when a sister service is guarding the gates and the business is allegedly closed?
Do boxes of documents typically fight back?
Although there are no pictures of the Marala go raid yet, I actually trust the Trump lawyers on site who described the FBI team accurately as a few suits and a large number in Tee's and cargo shorts. Almost like an acceptable light duty uniform.
Raid on the Clinton Foundation
Tee shirts and cargo pants
or this one armed with a dangerous camera. San Francisco.
Then why would they even need a sidearm? Why would they need M-4’s when the raided Roger Stones home? They brought them along there but not on this raid? Ridiculous.
See above
Yes, you trust people you normally wouldn’t trust when they say something which supports one of your preferred narrative.
SOSDD. Nothing new there.
Was the Secret Service guarding Roger's house? Nope.
How many sidearms do you count in either picture I provided? The FBI has different job descriptions does it not? One lady has a clipboard, another has a camera. Apparently inventorying evidence isn't dangerous.
Where in the world did you pull that out of? When or where on this planet have I ever disparaged the FBI? Your preferred narrative is evident.
Indeed.
The folks who guard that freak show Stone are some neo Nazi morons like the proud boys
Here's Roger Stone with the Oath Keepers on the morning of Jan 6:
There is no reasonable explanation for Trump's theft of highly classified documents except that he thought he could make use of them for financial gain or to benefit his foreign allies and partners.
Maybe he just wanted to keep his Love Letters from Lil' Kim.
Were those highly classified, top secret?
I haven't seen them and can't know.
A whole lot of hoaxing going on.
Old Donald Trump was a president
Ee i ee i o
And in his administration he had some hoaxes
Ee i ee i oh
With a hoax-hoax here
And a hoax-hoax there
Here a hoax, there a hoax
Everywhere a hoax-hoax
Ok, Class! Who can tell me the 2 things wrong in that sentence? Anyone? Bueller?
Ok, I'll tell you. Number 1, trmp is NOT the most popular politician in the US and Number 2...nobody would mistake a troll for a witch.
Us witches have denounced Trump over and over again. There's no comparison between the legal execution of a search warrant and the Salem witch trials, and anyone who tries to compare what accused witches went through with Trump's legal troubles is an idiot.