Trump falsely claims prosecution involves only 'a couple dozen documents' he had authority to declassify

Donald Trump falsely claimed he was being prosecuted over 'a couple dozen documents that he had authority to declassify.' In reality, the federal government recovered hundreds of documents with classified markings from Mar-a-Lago after Trump left office, and the Justice Department stated in an August 2022 filing there was no indication Trump declassified any of the material. The indictment, formally released June 9, includes 37 counts against Trump, including willful retention of national defense information, conspiracy to obstruct justice, and making false statements. PolitiFact rated the claim false.

“I'm being prosecuted over a couple dozen documents that I had the absolute authority to declassify.” — Trump made this claim in a speech at his Bedminster golf club on June 13, 2023, following his arraignment in the classified documents case.