Appearing on CNN’s “New Day” on Friday morning to talk about reports of Donald Trump destroying documents — including reportedly flushing some down the toilet — former White House press secretary Stephanie Grisham explained that there were few rules when she worked there.
Speaking with hosts John Berman and Brianna Keilar, Grisham alternately called the former president “paranoid” and “strange” in his habits.
“You know, I wasn’t surprised when I saw the report,” she told the CNN hosts. “I think what’s important is this is another example of a White House and an administration that we had no rules, we followed no rules. Obviously, with this, I do think it should be looked into. But there’s going to be a lot that goes into it. They may have been marked top secret but had the president declassify them, who packed them, what was the intent there? Was everything really returned? I think the point is, I know people are talking about, you know, should he get in trouble legally for this?”
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Asked, “Was it a nervous tic or because he wanted them out of circulation?” she replied, “I don’t know the answer to that to be honest with you. I always thought it was a nervous tic. It was — he always tore everything up,” before later adding, “I saw him put some of the torn up pieces inside his jacket pocket and I thought, huh, wonder why that’s going in his pocket rather than on the floor? There weren’t alarm bells for me at the time because I was so used to seeing it. but I distinctly remember wondering why they went in his pocket? Maybe to be flushed in a toilet later.”