Esper: If Allegations True Trump Can’t Be Trusted with the Nation’s Secrets

Former Defense Secretary Mark Esper said Sunday on CNN’s “State of the Union” that if the allegations in the federal indictment of former President Donald Trumpweare true, he could not be trusted with the nation’s secrets.

Anchor Jake Tapper said, “What was your reaction when you learned from the indictment that Trump had all of these documents pertaining to very sensitive topics, classified topics, just lying around Mar-a-Lago and, in some instances, showing them to people without classified clearance, allegedly. Do you think his actions put America’s national security at risk?”

Esper said, “The revelations are very troubling, disturbing, and yes, I do. If the allegations are true that it contained information about our nation’s security, about our vulnerabilities, about other items, it could be quite harmful to the nation. Look, no one is above the law. And so I think this process needs to play out and people held to account. The president held to account.”

Tapper asked, “Based on your experiences working with the Trump and the actions alleged in the indictment, do you think Trump can be trusted with the nation’s secrets ever again?”
Esper said, “Well, based on his actions, if proven true, under the indictment by the special counsel, no. It’s just irresponsible action that places our service members at risk, places our nation’s securities at risk. You cannot have these documents floating around. They need to be secured. We know how that happens. Only authorized persons that are allowed to receive documents or receive information from documents. So we’ve got to take this very seriously. These are serious issues.”

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