Donald Trump’s desperate effort to withhold documents from Congress related to the Jan. 6 Capitol riot had its day in federal court Thursday. If sanity prevails, Trump’s outlandish argument — that being a former president affords him perpetual executive privilege to keep those documents hidden — will be quickly rejected.
The assault on America’s seat of government 10 months ago remains a crucial issue today, because the anti-democracy movement that drove it is still out there, looking for another opening. Trump is both the leader of that movement and the current front-runner for the GOP’s 2024 presidential nomination. That alone makes it crucial for the nation to know the full extent of his involvement in the attack, as well as the involvement of those around him.
Toward that goal, the House committee investigating the insurrection is seeking official documents from the National Archives related to Trump’s activities before and during the assault. Trump is balking at all of it — even such basic documents as the White House visitor logs and presidential daily schedules — claiming executive privilege.
