And were turned over once found without any claims of ownership, without ignoring requests and subpoenas for months, without a media campaign blaming everyone but those responsible, without attempts to move/hide them, without evidence of their regular review by persons who should no longer review them, and without some asinine explanation that a president can de-classify documents just by thinking it, but yes, they are classified.

Okay. Biden is a nice guy because his people immediately returned the documents once found. Trump is a bad guy because he stonewalled and probably used some classified document to keep track of his golf score on the Trump International Golf Club in West Palm Beach. Doesn't change the fact that both took classified top secret documents they shouldn't have had. Can we agree that's equal? I can agree the documents are classified and shouldn't have been kept, accidentally or otherwise. But intent matters. Cooperation in handover after discovery matters. And the first half of your comment is cute, but indicative of willful ignorance at best.

Intent hasn't been established in either case. All we have at this point is the words of the spokespeople of both parties - each saying the same thing that they were accidentally taken.

Intent hasn't been established in either case. All we have at this point is the words of the spokespeople of both parties - each saying the same thing that they were accidentally taken. Actions taken after the discovery of the documents give strong indications of intent. Stonewalling gives strong indications of consciousness of guilt, in the absence of further evidence.

Great. Nothing has been proven yet. Trump was a jerk about it but one outcome is it genuinely could have been accidental. He's always a jerk about these things, doesn't mean it was intentional. Biden was nice about it and one outcome is he could have legitimately stolen the documents. All I'm saying its a serious offense. Regardless of your party affiliation you need to be open to the outcome which doesn't necessarily favor your guy because at this point its possible.

In the way that anything is possible, sure. But I think you're ignoring a lot if you think the differences are boiled down to Trump is a jerk and Biden is a jerk. But you do you if it makes you feel non-partisan.

There's a difference between being a jerk and being a jerk by defying legal proceedings and directions. The last alone has legal consequences. While you could stretch incredulity to imagine it was an innocent mistake on Trump's part, ignoring the polite request to return them is a black mark. Ignoring a legal subpoena for them is legally criminal. Partially complying and affirming that you fully complied is legally criminal. Declaring you declassified them where there is no mechanism for you to do so is legally obstructionist. If Trump has returned them with the request, we probably would have never known about it. If he had complied with the subpoena it would have been a minor scandal that would have been forgotten about be now and any legal action would likely not have been taken.

Again, not saying that this matter with Biden shouldn't be investigated. It should. Nobody should be above the law. If he broke any, he should be help accountable for it. So far, he and his team have followed the procedures set out for dealing with this to the letter.

I won't add this to the list of news I've added on this, but came across yet another political article during a break. https://www.politico.com/news/2023/01/10/house-gop-trump-biden-classified-docs-00077252

In the way that anything is possible, sure. But I think you're ignoring a lot if you think the differences are boiled down to Trump is a jerk and Biden is a jerk. But you do you if it makes you feel non-partisan. A quote from Biden: "Depending on the circumstance. For example, I have, in my home, a cabined-off space that is completely secure. I’m taking home with me today today’s PDB. It’s locked. I have a person with me — military with me. I read it, I lock it back up, and give it to the military." Proves you it was not secure since someone got access to it.

and Biden is a jerk. Actually I'm saying the opposite. Biden is a nice a guy and outside the thunderdome of politics, people think he is genuinely a nice guy. Across the aisle a teary eyed Lindsay Graham and a choked up John Boehner can attest to that after getting through half a box of kleenex. But even nice guys do bad things. And the fact we know is he had possession of top secret classified documents he shouldn't have. Nobody should be above the law. If he broke any, he should be held accountable for it. Thank you.

Typo on my part, but yeah. I agree if law broken, accountability. But RP summed up my point far more eloquently.

Thank you. No thanks necessarily. This should be standard and obvious. Though it appears many don't agree. It doesn't change that at this time Biden's infraction and response combination legally and historically merits a mere handslap where Trump has clearly broken the law seriously multiple times during and after the event.

I will say that, although there is no current reason to think this is the case with either, if it comes out that sensitive info leaked to anyone other than our bestest allies due to one of these, the President responsible should be politically REAMED for it.