Nicolai Haugsted
Trump’s latest move could expose classified files linked to the 2020 election
Fresh remarks from President Donald Trump have reignited debate over the 2020 election after he revealed that his acting intelligence chief has broad authority to declassify government documents, including files tied to the last presidential race.
Speaking to reporters, including Reuters, before departing Joint Base Andrews for an event in North Dakota, Trump said he had personally authorized acting Director of National Intelligence Bill Pulte to release records while he remains in the role.
Broad authority during a brief tenure
Pulte, who was appointed to lead the U.S. intelligence community on an acting basis last month, is expected to serve only temporarily until Trump’s nominee, Jay Clayton, is confirmed by the Senate.
Despite that limited timeframe, Trump indicated he had placed few restrictions on what could be made public.
“Bill’s there, just, you know, for maybe a month or two months or something. But while he’s there, I said, ‘You can declassify whatever you want.'”
When reporters asked whether that authority also covered documents connected to the 2020 election, Trump replied:
“I told him you could do it, it’s fair. You got to ask him.”
Election claims remain at the center
Trump has continued to argue that the 2020 election was affected by widespread fraud, despite courts, election officials and multiple investigations finding no evidence of fraud on a scale that would have changed the outcome.
His latest comments come after NBC News reported that a White House task force has been gathering documents related to the 2020 election with the goal of declassifying some of them.
Meanwhile, the administration continues pushing the SAVE Act, legislation Trump has repeatedly promoted as a key measure to strengthen voter identification requirements. Democrats and voting-rights advocates argue the proposal could make voter registration more difficult for millions of eligible Americans.
Intelligence agency faces transition
Pulte currently serves as both acting Director of National Intelligence and head of the Federal Housing Finance Agency while awaiting Clayton’s confirmation process.
According to Reuters, Pulte has already begun reducing staffing levels across parts of the intelligence community during his temporary tenure.
A White House official defended the administration’s approach, saying Trump remains committed to making government information available whenever possible.
Clayton’s Senate confirmation hearing is expected later this month, with Trump telling reporters he believes lawmakers will begin considering the nomination within the next two weeks.
