In a recent development, former U.S. President Donald Trump vehemently denied allegations that he attempted to destroy evidence related to an ongoing investigation into whether he took classified documents from the White House. The accusations suggest that Trump ordered a Mar-a-Lago staffer to erase a security video pertinent to the case.
In a forthcoming interview with "Meet the Press" moderator Kristen Welker, set to air on Sunday, September 17, Trump expressed his frustration over what he termed as "fake charges" brought forth by a "deranged lunatic prosecutor." He emphasized, "Look, it's a fake charge. But more importantly, the tapes weren't deleted. In other words, there was nothing done to them. And, they were my tapes. I could have fought them. I didn't even have to give them the tapes, I don't think. I think I would have won in court. When they asked for the tapes, I said, 'Sure.' They're my tapes."
The former president, now 77, was further probed about the possibility of having deleted the security footage to prevent it from reaching investigators. To this, Trump responded with a firm "That's false." When asked if he would be willing to testify under oath regarding the matter, he confidently stated, "Let me tell - sure, I'm going to - I'll testify... Number one, the statement is false. Much more importantly, when the tapes came, and everybody says this, they weren't deleted. We give them 100 percent. And just so you know, I offered them. I said if you want to look at tapes, you can look at them."
The controversy surrounding Trump intensified in June when he was indicted and subsequently arrested over allegations of mishandling classified documents at his Mar-a-Lago resort post his presidency. The prosecution later claimed that two of Trump's staff members, Walt Nauta and Carlos De Oliveira, directed a third unidentified staffer to delete the security footage. This directive was purportedly issued by "the boss," hinting at Trump's involvement. Both Nauta and De Oliveira, along with Trump, have since entered pleas of not guilty.
The case has garnered significant media attention, with many awaiting further developments and Trump's detailed response in the upcoming "Meet the Press" interview. As the legal proceedings continue, the former president remains resolute in his stance, asserting his innocence and challenging the veracity of the charges against him.
