Trump 'requires nothing less' than maximum prison sentence: former DOJ prosecutor

Former President Donald Trump should be sentenced to the maximum punishment allowed if convicted in his classified defense case, former federal prosecutor Dennis Aftergut told Salon's Andrew O'Hehir in an interview released on Monday.

The most serious charges he's hit with come with a maximum of 20 years in prison each.

"The narrative here is one of betrayal of a nation and its most precious secrets by a man who was the commander in chief for four years and who seeks that mantle again. There's never been anything remotely like it," said Aftergut.

"Just think about it. The disregard for the lives, the risk and the individual courage that goes into gathering information vital to our national security and our safety is incomprehensible. There is no way for the brain to wrap itself around what is described in this indictment, the violation of sacred trust, a one-man demolition crew working against the American intelligence system that has been built, brick by brick, over 80 years."

Not only that, said Aftergut, there is also the "bone-chilling" nature of the specific defense information the former president allegedly put at risk, lying around in boxes in an unsecured bathroom and ballroom.

"Materials that Trump took to Mar-a-Lago include documents 'concerning nuclear weaponry of the United States,' 'nuclear capabilities of a foreign country' — which could be North Korea, Russia, China or Iran, we just don't know," said Aftergut.

"The materials Trump possessed at his resort home included documents 'concerning military attacks by a foreign country,' 'timeline and details of attack on a foreign country,' and 'military contingency planning of the United States.'"

Taken all together, said Aftergut, Trump "requires nothing less" than the maximum sentence — which in some cases is up to 20 years in prison per count, comfortably enough to put him behind bars for the rest of his life.

Trump is scheduled to be arraigned on Tuesday in Miami, although many unknowns remain, including the kind of legal team Trump will be able to pull together.