Trump's Mar-a-Lago Records Like a '5-Year-Old With a Toy': Former Official

A Trump White House official likened former President Donald Trump to a "5-year-old with a toy" for holding onto classified records at his Mar-a-Lago home after leaving office.

Asked about why he thought Trump left the White House with documents that were supposed to be turned over to the National Archives, Gavin James told CNN on Friday, "It has become less about 'America first' and more about Donald Trump first, so that's why I think he kept these documents."

"It's because to Donald Trump, that's like a 5-year-old with a toy—'that's my toy' and these are his documents," he said. In the Trump administration, James served as press secretary for the Department of Labor as well as deputy communications director for the Department of Health and Human Services.

Earlier this month, FBI agents obtained a search warrant for Trump's Florida residence over the former president's alleged mishandling of presidential records and seized at least 20 boxes of items, including some documents marked "top secret."

Since the August 8 raid, those in Trump's orbit have tried to explain how those materials ended up in his possession more than a year after he left office.

His attorneys have argued that he declassified those documents before the end of his term, while former officials have described a chaotic and rushed departure from the White House that led the records to be transported to Mar-a-Lago.

In an op-ed published by CNN on Friday, James and former White House Communications Director Stephanie Grisham wrote, "As two people now far removed from the cult-like atmosphere of Trump world, we find ourselves watching as its vitriol, extreme rhetoric and blatant lies continue to tear the country apart."

Ahead of November's midterm elections, the two former officials urged Republicans to abandon Trump "and put the party on a course correction before the GOP finds itself beyond repair."

James said that while he saw several "red flags" while working in the Trump administration, the thing that broke his allegiance was the former president's stolen election claims.

He argued that Trump's refusal to let go of the 2020 election was preventing Republicans from focusing on the party's future and further burdening the GOP with "indictments, subpoenas and investigations."

"In stark contrast to the Democrats, who continue to get legislative and policy wins, the only thing stacking up against the Republican Party are indictments, subpoenas and investigations," James said. "That's a really important thing to note as midterm elections are coming up and as we prepare for the 2024 presidential election."