Former President Donald Trump is trying to assert executive privilege over any information about the Jan. 6 Capitol attack from his White House papers. Trump’s lawyers have sued the National Archive to prevent it from turning over his papers to the House Jan. 6 special committee investigating the attacks.
Trump wants to block a wide range of documents related to the January, 6 insurrection from being released. John Laster, the director of the National Archives presidential materials division, said Trump has blocked over 770 pages of documents including 46 pages of records from former aides like former chief of staff Mark Meadows, immigration adviser Stephen Miller and deputy White House Counsel Patrick Philbin.
Trump is also blocking the release of the White House Daily Diary, a record of calls with former Vice President Mike Pence, his trips and meetings. He prevented the release of over 656 pages which include talking points from his former Press Secretary Kayleigh McEnany, a handwritten note concerning his Jan. 6 speech that preceded the attack and a draft executive order on election integrity.
Trump also blocked over 68 additional pages like a draft proclamation honoring officers who died in the riot, a memo about potential lawsuits in states where President Joe Biden won, an email from a state official concerning election issues and talking points on alleged election irregularities in a Michigan county.
Rep. Liz Cheney (R-Wyoming) condemned Trump’s move as “nothing more than an attempt to delay and obstruct our probe.”
