'Scam indictment!' Trump rants he has 'complete latitude' to take classified docs

Fresh off his early-morning tirade calling special counsel Jack Smith a "crackhead," former President Donald Trump took to his Truth Social platform on Thursday evening to proclaim the indictment Smith brought against him for stealing highly classified information is a "scam" and that the Espionage Act doesn't apply to him.

"Vital caselaw, of which there is much, further confirms that the Presidential Records Act (PRA) is the only statue which applies to Presidents and their records," said Trump. "These cases build on the Clinton Socks case in making it clear that Presidents have complete latitude and authority when it comes to documents, as well as that the PRA has no criminal enforcement mechanism. Deranged Jack Smith knows this, but refuses to even mention the words 'Presidential Records Act' in his Scam Indictment of Biden's Political Opponent (who is leading by a lot) in the middle of a Campaign — a No, No!"

Trump further proclaimed that "that 'case' should be summarily dropped, with a strong rebuke of the extensive prosecutorial misconduct" of Smith, as well as Attorney General Merrick Garland and Deputy Attorney General Lisa Monaco.

Trump's claim is wrong in a number of ways. The Presidential Records Act is not the only law that applies to the president's conduct, and although he is not charged with violating it — since it indeed doesn't have criminal penalties attached to it — the National Archives repeatedly demanded he return the documents, as he was not authorized to keep them.

Trump himself has admitted behind closed doors and on audio that he doesn't have the authority to declassify some of the documents he kept with him, particularly those detailing military tactics.

The former president followed up with another post on Truth Social later in the evening, reiterating many of the same claims: "Deranged Jack Smith purposefully omitted the Presidential Records Act from his sham Indictment, even though he knows that the PRA is the only law that applies to this subject. Nor does he mention the Clinton Socks Case, or any of the many others cases that are exactly on point, and completely vindicate me. He should be ashamed of himself but, more importantly, he, the DOJ, and the FBI, should be sanctioned for PROSECUTORIAL MISCONDUCT and Grand Jury Abuse. ELECTION INTERFERENCE!!!"