Donald Trump has stated that he "absolutely" plans to testify in the federal government's case against him concerning classified documents he took from the White House. In a recent interview with conservative podcast host Hugh Hewitt, Trump asserted,
"I'm allowed to do whatever I want … I'm allowed to do everything I did," referring to his actions under the Presidential Records Act according Yahoo News.
Trump has long been misrepresenting the scope of the Presidential Records Act. The law stipulates that upon the conclusion of a President's term, the Archivist of the United States assumes responsibility for the custody and preservation of presidential records.
While there is an allowance for presidents to keep records of a "purely private or nonpublic character," many of the documents Trump possessed were from government agencies like the CIA and the Department of Defense.
Will Trump Actually Testify?
When asked if he would testify in his own defense, Trump responded, "That, I would do. That, I look forward to."
However, it remains to be seen if Trump will actually take the stand, as the trial concerning the classified documents is set to begin in May 2024.
