Given the reports that Trump had limited interest in security briefings and an even more limited capacity to absorb information -- and little inclination to study anything at all -- it is rather odd that he was so adamant about keeping all those documents as "mementos."
I think part of it is ego: "Look how important I am, to have access to this stuff!" And the refusal to give it back is partly oppositional defiance: "You can't make me!" But there has to be more to it.
He was reported to be especially interested in documents related to the Mueller investigation -- purportedly because he wanted to prove that it was a conspiracy against him. The audio related to the Iran war documents also suggest that he thought the documents could be used against his critics.
Then there's the curious recent case of the Trump plane being parked right next to a Russian embassy plane in a far corner of Dulles.
And the best "conservative" intellectuals somehow don't think there's any reason to wonder WHY he was so intent on keeping those documents that he resisted a subpoena and had underlings playing games of shuffle-the-boxes to hide them.
Agree, especially that the ego thing is only part of it. But even though he is ultimately responsible - morally at least - as the approving "boss," I'm convinced that this was all the work, including the idea in the first place, of many of his protectors, who do have intense interest and knowledge of details. And are even more rabidly anti-American than their "useful idiot." Oh, and I like how you put scare quotes on "conservative." Trump's pathetic defenders are all rabid AUTHORITRIANS, and old style conservatives are among their (and his) fiercest critics.
Given the reports that Trump had limited interest in security briefings and an even more limited capacity to absorb information -- and little inclination to study anything at all -- it is rather odd that he was so adamant about keeping all those documents as "mementos."
I think part of it is ego: "Look how important I am, to have access to this stuff!" And the refusal to give it back is partly oppositional defiance: "You can't make me!" But there has to be more to it.
He was reported to be especially interested in documents related to the Mueller investigation -- purportedly because he wanted to prove that it was a conspiracy against him. The audio related to the Iran war documents also suggest that he thought the documents could be used against his critics.
Then there's the curious recent case of the Trump plane being parked right next to a Russian embassy plane in a far corner of Dulles.
And the best "conservative" intellectuals somehow don't think there's any reason to wonder WHY he was so intent on keeping those documents that he resisted a subpoena and had underlings playing games of shuffle-the-boxes to hide them.
Agree, especially that the ego thing is only part of it. But even though he is ultimately responsible - morally at least - as the approving "boss," I'm convinced that this was all the work, including the idea in the first place, of many of his protectors, who do have intense interest and knowledge of details. And are even more rabidly anti-American than their "useful idiot." Oh, and I like how you put scare quotes on "conservative." Trump's pathetic defenders are all rabid AUTHORITRIANS, and old style conservatives are among their (and his) fiercest critics.