During an interview on NBC’s “Meet the Press” on Sunday, host Chuck Todd clashed with Donald Trump’s lawyer Jim Trusty over the former president’s handling of classified documents.
In a heated back-and-forth, Todd demanded Trusty explain why Trump failed to comply with a subpoena seeking the return of classified documents from his Mar-a-Lago resort.
“Not only is he not cooperating” with the Department of Justice in returning the documents, “he is actively not cooperating. And again, he did not comply with a subpoena,” Todd said.
“That’s the end of the day. That’s the obstruction charge … How do you explain him defying a subpoena?”
Trusty, in response, claimed Todd was promoting a “Democratic narrative” before the host fired back.
“It’s just a set of facts,” Todd responded.
“Well, let me finish, let’s …,” Trusty began before Todd pressed further.
“Why call it a Democratic narrative? It’s a set of facts,” Todd said.
Todd, later in the interview, cited Trump’s claim in an interview with Fox News’ Sean Hannity last month that he “would have the right to … take stuff.”
“He told Hannity he could, he is not denying any of this,” Todd said.
“He said, ‘I would have the right to,’” Trusty replied. “He didn’t pack the boxes. Come on. I mean that’s absurd to think that President Trump in the middle of January of 2021 …”
“He didn’t say, ‘I want to keep certain documents’? You don’t think he did that?” Todd said.
“If you look at the boxes, as I have,” Trusty responded.
“You make this just seem like it’s hard to believe. To anybody that has covered or spent time with the former president. I know you’re new to him. This is who he is,” Todd said.
Watch a portion of the exchange below.
Chuck Todd to Trump lawyer Jim Trusty: "He's done with classified documents what no former POTUS has ever done… there was actual cooperation by those former presidents to deal w/the dispute. In this case, not only is he not cooperating…how do explain him defying a subpoena?" pic.twitter.com/k12K2P92zh
— Aaron Rupar (@atrupar) April 9, 2023
