Is there a Russia Connection in Trump’s Concealment of Government Documents at Mar-a-Lago?
The Former President’s Friendly Relationship with Vladimir Putin Raises Questions
Robert Brent Toplin
One of the great mysteries about ex-President Donald Trump’s hoarding of sensitive government documents at his residence at Mar-a-Lago relates to motives. It is not clear why Trump kept important government papers at his private residence. Those documents were supposed to be housed at the National Archives. It is also not clear why Trump’s representatives lied when the FBI collected boxes of government papers from Trump’s Florida property months ago. Those agents, obviously acting on Trump’s behalf, claimed they provided all the missing information. Later, in a raid at Mar-a-Lago, F.B.I. agents retrieved additional documents, including many that were marked classified. Some of the folders reportedly contained information about nuclear weapons.
Journalists have asked why Trump attempted to hide voluminous information, including some related to national security. A variety of suggestions have surfaced.
Some of Trump’s defenders reacted to news about the F.B.I.’s raid by suggesting a mix-up occurred during the hectic days before Joe Biden took up residence at the White House. Perhaps Trump and his aides unintentionally stored government papers in boxes that contained personal items. That explanation lost credibility, however, when Trump insisted the papers were rightfully his.
Others have suggested nefarious motives. They noted that Trump’s business empire was overextended and heavy in debt. Perhaps Donald Trump wanted to sell access to interested parties, domestic or foreign. Another possible motive related to Trump’s interest in protecting his reputation. There may be embarrassing information in the folders. The evidence might show, for instance, that Trump deserved impeachment.
There is another possible explanation for Trump’s fierce resistance to surrendering the documents that receives little attention in the news media. Donald Trump’s longtime friendly relationship with Vladimir Putin could be a factor. No clear ties to Putin have been identified so far in reporting about the documents. Details about their contents remain sealed. Yet the record of Trump’s persistent kowtowing when dealing with Putin and Russia’s interests is puzzling. In that context Trump’s handling of top-secret documents related to national security – information that would be of considerable interest to the Kremlin – is disconcerting.
Donald Trump has been extraordinarily obsequious toward the Russian leader. He has consistently referred to Putin in admiring terms. When Valdimir Putin engaged in aggressive actions that challenged the security of the European Union, NATO, and Ukraine, Trump refused to criticize the Russian leader, and often defended Putin.
Valdimir Putin appears to have considerable leverage with Trump. The sources of that influence are mystifying. Only a few clues have emerged. Years ago, one of Trump’s sons acknowledged that Russia provided considerable money for the family’s f real estate investments. Putin’s leverage might relate, as well, to Russia’s intervention in the 2016 U.S. presidential election. Russian hacks released Democratic leaders’ emails and secretly inserted negative propaganda about presidential candidate Hillary Clinton in American social media. These activities occurred years ago, however. It is unclear why Trump remains sycophantic toward Vladimir Putin.
There could be a connection between the two mysteries — Trump’s submissive relationship with Putin and Trump’s efforts to stockpile classified U.S. documents. Here are just a few among numerous comments and actions by Trump that raise questions about his relationship with Putin and the Russians.
Campaigning for president in 2016, Trump praised the Russian leader often. He said Putin was “so nice” and “a strong leader.” Trump claimed Putin did “a really good job outsmarting our country.” He also promised that, if elected, he’d “get along very well” with Putin. Trump honored that promise during his years at the White House.
During the 2016 campaign, Trump suggested Russia could keep Crimea. He said, “The people of Crimea, from what I’ve heard, would rather be with Russia than where they were.”
At a news conference in 2016 Trump encouraged the Russians to hack Hillary Clinton’s emails. He said, “Russia, if you’re listening, I hope you’re able to find the 30,000 emails that are missing.”
Shortly before the 2017 inauguration, Trump announced he was open to lifting sanctions against Russia. He said, ”If you get along and if Russia is really helping us, why would anybody have sanctions if somebody’s doing some really great things?”
In a 2017 meeting at the Oval Office, Trump shared highly classified documents with two senior Russian officials.
Trump attacked NATO frequently when he was president. He claimed the organization was “obsolete” and said he would not commit to NATO’s defense pledge. Trump considered withdrawing from NATO, and he tried to order U.S. troops out of Germany.
Donald Trump spread Russian disinformation about Ukraine and temporarily froze U.S. aid to Ukraine. His actions contradicted U.S. foreign policy and benefited Moscow’s interests.
Intelligence reports in 2019 and 2020 indicated the U.S. government believed Russia paid bounties to Afghan militants to kill American soldiers. Trump called these reports a “hoax” constructed by “fake news.”
These are just a few examples that suggest Donald Trump valued support from Putin or feared Putin’s influence. Something must explain Trump’s abundant efforts to please the Russian leader. Something ought to illuminate why Trump shocked U.S. intelligence officials on numerous occasions by acting in ways that benefited Russia and harmed interests of the United States and its allies.
We can only speculate about motives. No clear evidence has come to light so far that ties Trump’s concealment of government papers to his relationship with Putin. When the Justice Department completes its investigation of materials that had been hidden at Mar-a-Lago, the report may show Trump’s desire to control the documents had nothing to do with Putin and Russia.
Nevertheless, recent news reports featured bits of information that showed the documents could be of great interest to the Russians. Some of the folders contained top-secret information about nuclear weapons.
The Washington Post explained the risks: “Material about nuclear weapons is especially sensitive and usually restricted to a small number of government officials, experts said. Publicizing details about U.S. weapons could provide an intelligence road map to adversaries seeking to build ways of countering those systems. And other countries might view exposing their nuclear secrets as a threat, experts said.”
One “adversary” above all, has created the greatest mischief, intrigue, and interference in American political affairs: Russia. Information in the highly classified documents that had been housed at Mar-a-Lango would be of considerable interest to officials at the Kremlin. If research by the Justice Department reveals a Russia connection, the implication would be quite serious. A new scandal would eclipse the significance of many previous ones involving Trump.
It could be months or years before the public learns about the contents of high- level documents that Trump tried to squirrel away at Mar-a-Lago. Even if future reporting indicates Trump’s motives in taking the information had nothing to do with Russia, his extensive record of flattery and deference to Putin will remain one of the most intriguing puzzles about his behavior as commander-in-chief. On many occasions, as a candidate and as president, Trump revered the dictator responsible for extensive tension and misery in global affairs. Whatever the outcome of the Justice Department’s work with stashes of documents, an important question will remain. Why did Trump consistently excuse, admire, and praise Vladimir Putin when the Russian leader was clearly the free world’s enemy, not its friend?
