The only right response to Trump's executive privilege lawsuit

Biden has the documents. Why not publish them?

President Biden.
(Image credit: Illustrated | Getty Images, iStock)

Former President Donald Trump is trying to stymie the congressional investigation into his Jan. 6 putsch. Congress has subpoenaed Trump's associate Steve Bannon, as well as documents from the National Archives relating to the day's events. On Trump's orders, Bannon has refused to testify. Meanwhile, Trump has filed a lawsuit against both the House Jan. 6 committee and the archives. Trump is entitled, he claims, to the privacy of executive privilege.

He's not. President Biden should recognize this as an attempt to abuse the legal system to undermine democracy and respond accordingly. He has already rejected the executive privilege claim, but Biden should go further by rejecting the lawsuit and publishing any Trump administration documents related to the putsch immediately. Morevoer, those who defy subpoenas should be arrested and hauled before Congress.

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Ryan Cooper

Ryan Cooper is a national correspondent at TheWeek.com. His work has appeared in the Washington Monthly, The New Republic, and the Washington Post.