White House briefing on classified files sparks claims of political weaponization

On Friday afternoon, the White House hosted an online briefing for a mix of reporters, unveiling documents from the investigation into Donald Trump's retention of classified files after leaving office and his alleged obstruction of their recovery. The disclosed material included an internal discussion about probable cause for searching Mar-a-Lago, contingency plans for executing a search warrant during the Trump family's absence, and the collection of phone logs belonging to senior aide Susie Wiles.

Most of the information was already public or minor, leading mainstream journalists to give it little coverage. In contrast, Trump allies amplified a sensational, decontextualized narrative across conservative outlets, culminating in a question from a MyPillow-affiliated reporter that Trump answered by condemning the probe as "weaponization." The episode echoes earlier controversies over White House call-log disclosures, including missing phone-call records from the Jan. 6 Capitol attack.