Top Secrets for a man under investigation is not a good idea.

As America approaches the November 2024 elections, many citizens are rightly concerned about the threats to democracy amplified in the blatant attacks made by Donald Trump on TV, in rallies and conventions that undermine all that is right and good about America, and for his distortion and denial of verified historical facts.

By Michael Caporale

The man with 91 indictments who is convicted in a two civil cases amounting to over half a billion in penalties that he is required to pay, is now mustering his forces, setting the stage for the takeover of the government by his MAGA loyalists.  He understands that to overturn the system of checks and balances inherent in the three branches of government, he must exercise control over all branches, thus he needs loyalists who will bend to his will in every possible office.  He has already begun the process by supporting only those radical right-wing candidates in regional, state elections who will willingly modify the laws and regulations governing the electoral college, voting rights and redistricting, if asked to do so, in a way that favors him.

He has already gutted the RNC, installing his handpicked team to lead it, with Michael Whatley, the North Carolina Republican who echoed Trump’s false theories of voter fraud, as the party’s new national chairman and daughter-in-law Lara Trump as co-chair.

By purging the national committee of current members in order to install his MAGA loyalists, and by supporting the election and appointment of candidates of his choosing, he is moving to create a MAGA nation, as modeled by the nations of strongmen he admires, men such as Vladimir Putin.

While this is nerve-racking and stomach turning, it is not as imminent a threat as we face this very day.  It is underplayed, and mostly forgotten, that a candidate running for the office of the Presidency of the United States is briefed with all the top-secret documents necessary for the continuity of government should that candidate be elected. There are no guard rails on the disposition of these secrets other than a pledge by the candidate not to divulge them.  Really?  Does anyone think that will work with “Mr. Blabbermouth,” the man who boxed top secret documents and moved them to hide the evidence and who bragged top- secret stories of his term in office to listeners at his dinner table.

How can this be stopped?

I am not a legal expert, but I suggest that those in government, or anyone with standing, take a play from Trump’s playbook and start fighting back using his tactics by delaying and running out the clock on the delivery of those secrets.  A complaint should be filed against the agency that will deliver the documents, one that cites the uncertain outcome of such an action based on the Mara Lago “documents case which is unresolved.  Until then, the issue of whether Donald Trump can be trusted with National Secrets remains an open question. A release should only occur if that trial is completed in Trump’s favor.  The complaint should be extremely complicated and lengthy requiring time for counsel on both sides and the judge to review before a resolution in court is determined.  After that, an appeal to a lower Federal Court followed by an appeal to the Supreme Court and possibly with delays, the clock will be run out.