'Do you take home docs marked special access?: CNN host stumps GOP rep twisting himself into knots to defend Trump

14 August 2022

CNN host Brianna Keilar on Saturday appeared to stump House Intelligence Committee Ranking Member Rep. Mike Turner (R-OH) as he tried to explain away Donald Trump’s mounting legal troubles after the FBI searched the former president’s Mar-a-Lago estate last Monday.

As Keilar noted, the Department of Justice “is investigating possible Espionage Act violations” after agents recovered 11 sets of classified documents from Trump’s estate.

“Are you concerned that Donald Trump was keeping these highly classified documents at his resort?” Keilar asked.

READ MORE: Donald Trump may face charges for the 'serious crime of espionage' over classified documents: Lawrence Tribe

Turner replied that he has a “number” of concerns, including “whether or not the raid itself was justified.” Turner argued there isn’t yet conclusive information “as to whether or not this is actually classified material and whether or not it rises to the level of the highest classified material.”

“You are familiar with special access programs and the level of classification that is,” Keilar pressed. “Why are you casting doubt on how classified this information was if you see the property receipt and it’s very clear this was SCI information, some of it?”

Turner argued the documents in Trump’s home “are two years old,” insisting “we don't know if they rise to the level of being a national security threat.”

He then pivoted to talking about Hillary Clinton and Attorney General Merrick Garland.

“The fact you have here the attorney general, who is going after President [Joe] Biden's political rival, whose own personal career was derailed on the way to the Supreme Court by Donald Trump himself, and unequal application of the law between Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump, and the fact you have the FBI previously submitting — in warrants — materials that were bogus, that were politically motivated that targeted Donald Trump, there’s a high level of skepticism,” Turner said.

As Turner called for an investigation into whether Garland abused his discretion by OK’ing the Mar-a-Lago search, Keiler pointedly asked the Republican representative: “Do you take home documents marked ‘special access?’”

“No,” Turner replied.

Watch the full video below or at this link.

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