Donald Trump loses court battle to keep Congress from getting White House records on Capitol riot

On Thursday, a federal court of appeals blocked former President Donald Trump’s effort to stop a House committee from gathering a slew of White House records for its investigation into the Capitol riot on January 6.

Trump now seems to be gearing up to ask the Supreme Court to overturn the ruling. Trump argued that the records, which are currently being held by the National Archives, are protected by executive privilege.

Executive privilege is a legal concept to protect White House documents from being made public. The select committee disputed Trump’s attempt to invoke the privilege, saying President Joe Biden waived protection over the records.

In the Thursday ruling, which upheld the opinion of a lower federal court judge, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit noted that Biden “and the Legislative Branch have shown a national interest in and pressing need for the prompt disclosure of these documents.”

The three-judge panel added in the 68-page opinion said Trump “has provided no basis for this court to override President Biden’s judgement and the agreement and accommodations worked out between the Political Branches over these documents.”

The judges also emphasized the importance of the January 6 incident as rioters entered the Capitol building in order to stop the Congressional certification of the 2020 election results. “The events of January 6th exposed the fragility of those democratic institutions and traditions that we had perhaps come to take for granted,” the opinion read.

But Trump’s legal team is now looking toward the Supreme Court for another ruling.

Liz Harrington, a spokeswoman for Trump, tweeted, “Regardless of today’s decision by the appeals court, this case was always destined for the Supreme Court.” She continued, “President Trump’s duty to defend the Constitution and the Office of the Presidency continues, and he will keep fighting for every American and every future Administration.”