Archives may ask living former presidents, VPs to search for classified records: report

The National Archives may ask living former presidents and vice presidents to search personal records to make sure there are no classified materials in their possession, according to The Washington Post.

The National Archives is weighing the move, which was reported to the Post by two people familiar with the discussions who spoke on the condition of anonymity, as classified documents have been found in the personal possession of President Biden, former President Trump and former Vice President Mike Pence.

The classified documents saga started when the FBI searched Trump’s Florida home in 2022 and found more than 100 classified materials. Biden’s lawyers found classified documents in November at a private office he used to use in Washington, and a string of other documents have been found at other areas, including his Delaware home, since. Last week, Pence’s lawyers found classified documents after a search of his home in Indiana.

But officials from former presidential administrations have said that the documents had been properly turned over. The offices for former Presidents Obama and Clinton told The Hill that they have sent all records to the National Archives.

Both Biden and Trump are under investigation for their handling of the documents. Attorney General Merrick Garland appointed a special counsel to investigate the Biden case earlier this month. Pence’s representatives said his records had been turned over to the Department of Justice for review.

But while Biden and Pence have stressed their cooperation with law enforcement on the issue, Trump has taken a more aggressive approach. Earlier this month, he called Jack Smith, the special counsel investigating him, “a Trump Hating THUG whose wife is a serial and open Trump Hater,” in a social media post.

The National Archives did not immediately respond to a request for comment on the story.