A composite image of Donald Trump (left) and the DOJ's photo of top-secret documents found at Mar-a-Lago (right).
Trump raged on Truth Social about how the DOJ photograph appeared to show files strewn across the carpet.
Drew Angerer/Getty Images; Department of Justice

Two aides for former President Donald Trump said he might have taken the classified documents from his Mar-a-Lago resort.

"I think DOJ has an obligation to give a sense, without revealing, of course, what's in these classified documents, but those 18 top secret documents, even the subject matter, because I think, knowing the former president, we have to kind of think about why he did something

One of the things we have to keep in mind is leverage Is this something that he is holding onto to help his political ambitions? Is it just that he took the documents without being warned, did not turn them over, and there was no reason to do so?

Bash asked Grisham, a former White House communications director, what the likelier answer would be, especially since the classified information was put together with random press clippings, clothing, and gifts.

The most likely reason for Trump to take the documents was leverage, according to Grisham.

I think it is a kind of leverage. Some of it he thought was cool. He doesn't think he owns it, but I think some of it is. He didn't give things back when asked over and over again. There is something behind it.

The FBI seized 11 sets of classified documents from Donald Trump's property last month, including some that may have concerned nuclear weapons. The most detailed inventory of the documents seized at the Trump estate was made public by the Department of Justice.

Over 100 classified records were found at the estate.

Grisham said that the way Trump filed information while in office tracks perfectly with the way the classified documents were found.

His filing system was like that. Grisham said it was just boxes of things placed together. I don't know how that amount could be put in those boxes and not be seen, and now we're hearing that some could be missing, I just don't know how that could be done.

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