>

I’d be hilarious if he copy pasted one of trumps tweets and ended it with JK I’m not a raving lunatic in a middle of a tantrum.
Do a complete investigation, gather the evidence, follow all procedures and the law, seek justice without fear or favor no matter who is involved.  Figure this mess out. >

Fully agree - and I'd actually like the investigation to be concluded swiftly since the ones being investigated will likely be 100% cooperative.  It's not like DoJ will have to be dealing with full on liars and criminals which takes forever to find the answers. >

I 100% agree that there ought to be a reasonable investigation into this but I do have to wonder if any of this matters at all given that Biden is currently the president and therefore has not only the right to have classified information but also the ability to declassify that information.
Not trying to make excuses for the oversight (or lack thereof) of classified documents, but it seems to me as though this requires an investigation into how classified documents are handled during and after individuals have been given such status and after said status has lapsed.
Let's be perfectly honest, if they had taken different actions on the first set of documents, we likely wouldn't even know about this because there was nobody searching for them.
Had Biden and his lawyers actually been seriously corrupt, they could easily have disposed of them in a fireplace or down a toilet and no one would know the better.
The fact that they brought this directly to the attention of the proper authorities is at least proof that they do have respect for the rule of law and are willing to except the consequences, even if it is going to be used to make political hay while the sun shines.
That said, this likely has huge implications for executive privilege, especially to the extent that the former president argued he had. I personally do not have a problem with the minister of th Office of the President being able to be held accountable for their actions but only if it is equally applied across the board and not just something that we will have to deal with when presidents from the Democratic party are being scrutinized. >


has not only the right to have classified information but also the ability to declassify that information.

He does.  But apparently these docs were from his Vice Presidency under Obama.  So, it's a bit uncertain.
And it really undermines at least one of the central charges you could have lodged against Trump, that everyone that is able to access classified documents has a substantive responsibility to make sure they are handled appropriately.  The "oh, well, we had to leave in a hurry and things just got mixed up" arguments Trump could have made before would have had little merit - especially when you consider previous historic cases where even a single doc mishandled ended up with someone in jail.
But now Trump will be able to dilute that charge completely.  He's still fucked on obstruction and everything else (hopefully). >

Classified != Compartmentalized, Top Secret, etc. >

I agree with you, but I was recently informed that sources say some of these classified documents were classified Top Secret.
It does appear as though ABC is confirming that sources are saying that some of these were top secret documents.

Sources also told ABC News that the original batch of about 10 documents found in November contains classified vice-presidential briefing papers about foreign countries, some of which were marked top secret.

And CNN is not even using the journalistic term source, going so far as to assert that some of these documents were top secret.

Some of the classified documents were “top secret,” the highest level. They were found in three or four boxes that also contained unclassified papers that fall under the Presidential Records Act, CNN has reported.

If we are going to maintain Integrity about the treatment of top secret classified documents, it is important to hold both sides accountable for their retention of documents.
Thank goodness that Biden's lawyers were up front with the FBI and NARA rather than lying about the retention of documents and obstructing an investigation.
I really hope that Biden doesn't try to use the executive privilege argument to keep himself from investigation, but this is likely going to be a permanent stain on his reputation and definitely opens up the presidential field in the Democratic Party for 2024. >

Why would this be a permanent stain on Biden’s reputation? >

Because it will 100% be used along with whataboutism to suggest that Biden was going after Trump for the same thing that he was caught doing, regardless of the fact that Biden was not responsible for the investigation into Trump's documents has not been outspoken about the retention of documents, subsequent Lies by his lawyers, and obstruction.
I'm not saying that it is going to be fair, or even rational but it is going to cause a stain and that will be used to pillory him. >

So in essence, this is only going to be a stain in the minds of people who are rather brainless to begin with….gotcha >

Also, completely casual people who don't follow politics at all and just read a headline or a blurb.  They will see trump and Biden having done the same thing and reach the conclusion that one is just as bad as the other.
Most people really don't follow politics to any degree.  The amount of people I know that I had to tell about Roe v Wade being overturned and what that even means is concerning. >

My favorite part of this:
No raging tweets from the president making up executive powers. Accusing people of planting evidence and arguing about a deep state conspiracy against him.