Judge Chutkan rejects Trump's executive-privilege suit over Jan. 6 records

U.S. District Judge Tanya Chutkan denied Trump's bid to block the National Archives from turning over White House records to the House committee investigating the January 6 Capitol attack, ruling he was "unlikely to succeed on the merits of his claims." Chutkan wrote that executive privilege "is not absolute" and "exists for the benefit of the Republic, not any individual," rejecting Trump's position that his authority to assert privilege persists after leaving office: "Presidents are not kings, and Plaintiff is not President." The ruling held that the incumbent president's judgment on whether to waive privilege outweighs a former president's objection, clearing a path for the records' release pending appeal. It represented a pointed judicial rebuke of Trump's post-presidency effort to shield records bearing on his and his aides' conduct around January 6 from congressional scrutiny.

“Presidents are not kings, and Plaintiff is not President.” Quote verified against source