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Karl Rove, a veteran Republican political strategist, is drawing praise and incredulity online for saying Donald Trump improperly kept classified documents at his Mar-a-Lago home.
Rove, a Fox News contributor, made the comments Friday during an appearance on the network to discuss a newly released document used to justify the FBI search of Trump's home earlier this month. As Republicans have largely closed ranks in defense of Trump, Rove has emerged as an unexpected critic of the former president.
The U.S. Justice Department on Friday released a redacted affidavit stating Trump's legal counsel had been advised in June that his private residence was not "authorized to store classified information" taken from the White House at the end of his presidency. The affidavit also stated that FBI agents found 184 classified documents recovered from Mar-a-Lago earlier this year.
Trump has denied wrongdoing, claiming he had the authority to declassify documents. But Rove, who served as top aide to former President George W. Bush, said presidents aren't allowed to pick and choose which documents to take with them after leaving office.
Fox News anchor Sandra Smith: "Going back to the New York Post headline...you could have just asked."
— Justin Baragona (@justinbaragona) August 26, 2022
Karl Rove: "My sense is they were asking for a year and a half, and why he was holding on to these materials when he had no legal authority to do so under the PRA is beyond me!" pic.twitter.com/AEeFHY6WEO
"The Presidential Records Act is clear," said Rove. "A president does not have the right to leave the White House and pick and choose what documents he wants to take with them. He can ask for copies, but those are the property of the American people."
Rove said it was clear the National Archives and Records Administration had been asking for Trump to return the documents for a year and a half.
"Why he was holding on to these materials when he had no legal authority to do so under the Presidential Records Act is beyond me," he said.
Previously, Trump had openly criticized Bush's presidency, despite the two belonging to the same party. Bush has responded with veiled swipes at Trump, but Twitter users reacted with shock that Rove said a fellow Republican had violated federal law.
Katie Phang, host of MSNBC's The Katie Phang Show, reacted with a tweet, "When Karl Rove is the voice of reason..."
"My god...," actor Ken Olin said in a tweet. "If you're a scummy Republican and Karl Rove says you're guilty as f*ck, you're guilty as f*ck."
"I must be losing my mind because I think I'm listening to Karl Rove on @FoxNews rip on Trump and defend the FBI/DOJ," Twitter user LiraLoudmouth said in a tweet.
"It's happening..." tweeted comedian Heather Gardner. "Some of the Fox News regulars are finally starting to throw Trump overboard."
Newsweek has reached out to Trump for comment.
About the writer
Jake Thomas is a Newsweek night reporter based in Portland, Oregon. His focus is U.S. national politics, crime and public ... Read more