Classified documents among those Trump removed from White House, Archives confirms


Classified national security documents were in fact among those former President Donald Trump brought with him upon leaving office, the government's chief archivist said Friday, per Bloomberg.
In a letter to the chair of the House Oversight Committee, Archivist David Ferriero said the National Archives "has identified items marked as classified national security information within the boxes" recently recovered from Trump's Mar-a-Lago resort.
In January, the Archives got a hold of multiple boxes containing documents and records Trump had "improperly removed" from Pennsylvania Ave and brought with him to his Florida resort. Earlier this month, the government agency expressed concern that classified information appeared to be among the recovered boxes, in what would be a pretty obvious violation of the Presidential Records Act.
The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
Ferriero's letter also said the Archives "has identified certain social media records that were not captured and preserved by the Trump Administration," and that it found "some White House staff conducted official business using non-official electronic messaging accounts that were not copied or forwarded into their official electronic messaging accounts." Such disclosures are required under current presidential record law, Ferriero said.
Because classified information was, in fact, found among Trump's boxes, the Archives staff has been in touch with the Department of Justice, reports The New York Times.
"These new revelations deepen my concern about former President Trump's flagrant disregard for federal records laws and the potential impact on our historical record," House Oversight Committee Chairwoman Carolyn Maloney (D-N.Y.) said Friday. "I am committed to uncovering the full depth of Presidential Records Act violations by former President Trump and his top advisors, and using these findings to advance critical reforms and prevent future abuses."
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
Brigid Kennedy worked at The Week from 2021 to 2023 as a staff writer, junior editor and then story editor, with an interest in U.S. politics, the economy and the music industry.
-
Nvidia: unstoppable force, or powering down?
Talking Point Sales of firm's AI-powering chips have surged above market expectations –but China is the elephant in the room
-
5 hard-working cartoons about Labor Day celebrations
Cartoons Artists take on creation of AI, spelling mistakes, and more
-
Codeword: September 7, 2025
The Week's daily codeword puzzle
-
Why are Trump's health rumors about more than just presidential fitness?
TODAY'S BIG QUESTION Extended absences and unexplained bruises have raised concerns about both his well-being and his administration's transparency
-
'The McDonald's menu board is one fascinating thing'
Instant Opinion Opinion, comment and editorials of the day
-
DC sues Trump to end Guard 'occupation'
Speed Read D.C. Attorney General Brian Schwalb argues that the unsolicited military presence violates the law
-
RFK Jr. faces bipartisan heat in Senate hearing
Speed Read The health secretary defended his leadership amid CDC turmoil and deflected questions about the restricted availability of vaccines
-
White House defends boat strike as legal doubts mount
Speed Read Experts say there was no legal justification for killing 11 alleged drug-traffickers
-
Epstein accusers urge full file release, hint at own list
speed read A rally was organized by Reps. Ro Khanna and Thomas Massie, who are hoping to force a vote on their Epstein Files Transparency Act
-
Court hands Harvard a win in Trump funding battle
Speed Read The Trump administration was ordered to restore Harvard's $2 billion in research grants
-
Florida aims to end all state vaccine requirements
Speed Read Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. continues to cut vaccine access and install anti-vaccine activists at the FDA and CDC