Former Trump defense secretary disagrees with ex-president on classified documents.

Former Secretary of Defense Mark Esper Raises Concerns About Trump’s Handling of Classified Documents

Former Secretary of Defense Mark Esper has joined the growing chorus of former Trump officials expressing alarm over allegations that the former president mishandled classified documents. Esper, who served under Trump, has voiced doubts about Trump’s ability to protect the nation’s secrets if these allegations prove to be true.

In recent weeks, it has been alleged that Trump took classified documents and obstructed a federal investigation aimed at retrieving them. Some of these documents contained sensitive national security intelligence, posing a potential risk to the lives of military personnel if they were to fall into the wrong hands.

Esper’s Troubling Assessment

During an interview on CNN, Esper expressed his deep concerns about the situation. “The revelations are very troubling, disturbing, and yes, I do,” he said. “If the allegations are true and these documents contained information about our nation’s security and vulnerabilities, it could be quite harmful to the nation.”

Esper emphasized that no one is above the law and stressed the importance of holding individuals accountable. “This process needs to play out and people held to account, the president held to account,” he asserted.

The Seizure of Classified Documents

The FBI seized a total of 102 documents from various locations at Mar-a-Lago, including an office, a bedroom, a ballroom, a bathroom, and a storage room. Out of these, 54 were marked as secret, and 17 were classified as top secret. The government’s 49-page indictment revealed that these classified documents contained information about U.S. nuclear capabilities, potential vulnerabilities to attack, and contingency plans for retaliation.

Esper’s Assessment of Trump’s Trustworthiness

When asked if Trump could be trusted with the nation’s security, Esper responded, “Based on his actions — again, if proven true under the indictment by the special counsel — no.”

He further criticized Trump’s actions, stating, “It’s just irresponsible action that places our service members at risk, places our nation’s security at risk. You cannot have these documents floating around. They need to be secured.”

Esper emphasized the importance of authorized individuals being the only ones allowed to access classified information. “We’ve got to take this very seriously. These are serious issues,” he added.

Legal Charges Against Trump

The former president is facing multiple charges, including willful retention of national defense information, conspiracy to obstruct justice, withholding and concealing documents, and making false statements. He recently pleaded not guilty during his arraignment in Miami.

The Pentagon has largely refrained from commenting on Trump’s case, with even Gen. Mark Milley, the outgoing chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, declining to address the matter at a recent press conference.

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