Press/Journalists

Press Statements in Response to Media Queries About Presidential Records
Media Alert · Wednesday, January 17, 2024

Washington, DC

In response to recent media reports that generated a large number of queries about presidential records, we issued the following statements to the media:

January 17, 2024, statement
December 4, 2023, statement
September 2, 2023, statement
August 11, 2023, statement
June 9, 2023, statement
April 27, 2023, statement
April 12, 2023, statement
March 31, 2023, statement
February 28, 2023, statement
February 10, 2023, statement
January 31, 2023, statement
December 20, 2022, statement
November 9, 2022, statement
October 11, 2022, statement
October 3, 2022, statement
September 23, 2022, statement
September, 8, 2022, statement
August 12, 2022, statement
February 8, 2022, statement
February 7, 2022, statement
January 31, 2022, statement

January 17, 2024, statement

Today, the National Archives and Records Administration (NARA) is making its eighth release of documents processed in response to nearly 50 Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) requests seeking NARA records related to the 15 boxes of materials we received from former President Donald Trump’s Mar-a-Lago property in January 2022.

Today’s release consists of 247 pages of records that NARA initially withheld under FOIA Exemption (b)(5). NARA has re-reviewed the records and determined that we could release additional information. Due to pending litigation, we are not able to offer additional comment on today’s release. NARA will notify the public if and when it determines it can make additional releases.

December 4, 2023, statement

Today, the National Archives and Records Administration (NARA) is making its fourth Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) release of documents related to the transfer of Obama-era Presidential records from President Biden to NARA, beginning in November 2022.

NARA has received approximately 25 FOIA requests related to NARA’s receipt of these records. We are processing the requests on a rolling basis and posting any non-exempt, responsive records at https://www.archives.gov/foia/biden-vp-records-covered-by-pra. Today’s release consists of 15 pages of communications with NARA’s Office of Inspector General about the Penn Biden Center records

September 2, 2023, statement

The National Archives and Records Administration (NARA) is a non-partisan, independent agency charged with preserving, protecting, and providing access to the records of the United States.

At the end of a Presidential administration, NARA receives the records of that administration under the Presidential Records Act (PRA), 44 U.S.C. 2201-2209. Many of the older records in NARA’s presidential libraries are open and available to the public without restriction. However, more recent records may be restricted in accordance with the PRA and the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA).

NARA routinely receives FOIA requests and congressional “special access requests” for these closed records of former Presidents and Vice-Presidents. NARA responds to requests from Congress and the public for Presidential – and Vice-Presidential – records as quickly as possible, while meeting the full requirements established in the Presidential Records Act and the Freedom of Information Act.

How does NARA make Presidential and Vice-Presidential records available to the public?

Under the PRA, 44 U.S.C. 2201-2209, Presidential -- and Vice Presidential -- records are generally not available to the public for the first five years after the end of the administration. After five years, the public may make FOIA requests for access to those records that are not exempt from disclosure under specified PRA and FOIA exemptions. FOIA requests for Presidential records are governed by section 2208 of the PRA. NARA began accepting FOIA requests for the records of the Obama/Biden administration on January 20, 2022.

FOIA requires each agency to post released records on its websites whenever it receives three or more requests for the same records. See the following links for examples of the thousands of pages of Presidential and Vice-Presidential records NARA has made publicly available:

How long does it take for NARA to respond to FOIA requests for Presidential records?

The PRA process has several steps that must be followed, including what can be a time-consuming, line-by-line review requirement. As required by law, NARA processes FOIA requests in the order they are received, and which queue the request is in. Depending on the number of requests and their complexity, there can be a multi-year backlog for requests.

Once a request reaches the front of the queue, NARA must identify which records are actually responsive to the request and exclude any “personal records” (as defined by the PRA), and then conduct a page-by-page review to determine if any sensitive information must be withheld from public release, including national security, law enforcement, and personal privacy information.

Then NARA is required to provide notification to the former and incumbent presidents of the intent to release records. They have 60 working days to review the records, but this can be extended, by statute, for up to 90 days. The purpose of the notification is to allow all parties to review for privileged information.

How does a FOIA lawsuit change the normal process?

Under the law, FOIA requesters have the right to file a lawsuit in federal court if an agency does not substantively respond to a request within 20 working days. When this type of FOIA lawsuit is filed, it is normal for the agency and the requester to reach an agreement to speed up the review and release of records. These court-approved agreements often result in those records being processed ahead of FOIA requests not in litigation. Such FOIA lawsuits have become more common due to large backlogs across government agencies.

Does the FOIA process under the PRA apply to requests from Congress?

In addition to responding to FOIA requests, NARA also responds to “special access requests” for Presidential Records, which can be made by the current administration, the Courts, or a congressional committee chair. These requests may be made at any time -- even before the records are publicly available under FOIA. The privilege review period for special access requests is generally 30 days. NARA does not make records released in response to special access requests publicly available, unless there has been a separate FOIA review.

August 11, 2023, statement

Today, the National Archives and Records Administration (NARA) is making its second Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) release of documents related to the transfer of Obama-era Presidential records from President Biden to NARA, beginning in November 2022.

NARA has received approximately 25 FOIA requests related to NARA’s receipt of these records. We are processing the requests on a rolling basis and posting any non-exempt, responsive records at https://www.archives.gov/foia/biden-vp-records-covered-by-pra. Today’s release, of Category 2 documents, consists of 340 pages of press and communications discussions about the discovery and transfer of the records.

June 9, 2023, statement

Recent media reports have generated a large number of queries about Presidential records and the Presidential Records Act (PRA), 44 U.S.C. 2201-2209. The PRA requires that all records created by Presidents (and Vice-Presidents) be turned over to the National Archives and Records Administration (NARA) at the end of their administrations. Below is additional information about how NARA carries out its responsibilities under the PRA. Please note that the PRA treats the records of the President and those of the Vice President in almost the same manner such that, in most cases below, President and Vice President can be used interchangeably.

How much time do outgoing Presidents have to go through their papers to determine what to retain as personal documents?

The Presidential Records Act (PRA) requires the President to separate personal documents from Presidential records before leaving office. 44 U.S.C. 2203(b). The PRA makes clear that, upon the conclusion of the President’s term in office, NARA assumes responsibility for the custody, control, preservation of, and access to the records of a President. 44 U.S.C. 2203(g)(1). The PRA makes the legal status of Presidential records clear and unambiguous, providing that the United States reserves and retains “complete ownership, possession, and control of Presidential records.” 44 U.S.C. 2202. There is no history, practice, or provision in law for presidents to take official records with them when they leave office to sort through, such as for a two-year period as described in some reports. If a former President or Vice President finds Presidential records among personal materials, he or she is expected to contact NARA in a timely manner to secure the transfer of those Presidential records to NARA.

How does NARA store the records of an outgoing President after the end of an administration?

In the past, and in accordance with the Presidential Libraries Act (44 U.S.C. 2112), former Presidents would fund, build, endow, and donate to NARA a traditional Presidential Library (NARA-operated traditional Presidential Libraries exist from Presidents Hoover through George W. Bush). Accordingly, NARA would arrange to move the Presidential records to a temporary NARA facility near the designated location of the forthcoming Library – e.g., Hoffman Estates, IL, for the records of President Obama (who subsequently decided not to build a Presidential Library for NARA, see below); Dallas, TX, for President George W. Bush; Little Rock, AR, for President Clinton. In each case, the facility was modified to meet NARA requirements for records storage and security, NARA had physical and legal custody of the records from the end of the Administration, and the temporary facility was under the exclusive control of NARA.

NARA no longer expects to move Presidential records to a temporary facility outside of Washington, DC, given the relatively small volume of paper Presidential records created by recent administrations, as compared to the huge volume of electronic records and the strong interest in the digitization of paper records. In addition, the increased endowment requirements first applicable to President Obama under the Presidential Libraries Act may impact decisions by former Presidents concerning whether to build a traditional Presidential Library for NARA.

Prior to the end of his administration, President Trump did not communicate any intent to NARA with regard to funding, building, endowing, and donating a Presidential Library to NARA under the Presidential Libraries Act. Accordingly, the Trump Presidential records have been and continue to be maintained by NARA in the Washington, DC, area, and there was no reason for NARA to consider a temporary facility in Florida or elsewhere.

How are documents in the White House determined to be an official Presidential record or a personal record?

The Presidential Records Act (PRA) defines what constitutes “Presidential records” and what are “personal records.” 44 U.S.C. 2201. Personal records include “diaries, journals, or other personal notes serving as the functional equivalent of a diary or journal which are not prepared or utilized for, or circulated or communicated in the course of, transacting Government business.”

The PRA also requires that all documentary materials “be categorized as Presidential records or personal records upon their creation or receipt and be filed separately.” 44 U.S.C. 2203(b). The President does not have discretion to categorize a Presidential record as a personal record.

Did President Obama take Presidential records to Chicago after he left office?

No. When President Obama left office in 2017, NARA took physical and legal custody of the records of his administration in accordance with the Presidential Records Act. NARA made arrangements to move the roughly 30 million pages of paper Presidential records of the Obama administration to a federally acquired, modified, and secured temporary facility that NARA leased in Hoffman Estates, IL, which meets NARA’s requirements for records storage and security. NARA moved the records to Hoffman Estates because of the intention of President Obama to build a Presidential Library in the Chicago area.

Subsequently, former President Obama decided not to fund, build, endow, and donate a physical Presidential Library to NARA (his foundation is building a privately operated Presidential Center that will not have archival storage for any Presidential records). Instead, the Obama Foundation agreed to help pay for the cost of digitizing the unclassified paper records and for the cost of moving the classified and unclassified records from NARA’s temporary facility in Hoffman Estates to other NARA-controlled facilities (for which NARA otherwise would have to pay). A September 2018 Letter of Intent from the Obama Foundation to the Archivist of the United States addresses Obama’s commitment to paying for these costs; but it in no way suggests that Obama had physical custody of any Presidential records. As NARA stated in September 2022, neither former President Obama nor his foundation “had possession or control over the [Presidential] records” of his administration.

Are photocopies of original records, either classified or unclassified, still covered under PRA?

The definition of Presidential records in PRA excludes “extra copies of documents produced only for convenience of reference, when such copies are clearly so identified.” 44 U.S.C. 2201(2)(B). However, multiple copies, to include photocopies, of the same document can all be Presidential records, depending on how they are used and maintained in the White House.

The PRA provides very specific requirements should a President seek to dispose of Presidential records that they determine “no longer have administrative, historical, informational, or evidentiary value.” 44 U.S.C. 2203(c)-(e). This must be done while they are in office, and they must first obtain the views of the Archivist of the U.S. in writing.

Did Presidents before Nixon have total control over their records?

Prior to the Presidential Records Act of 1978, which first applied to President Reagan, all of the official records of the White House were considered the personal property of the President (from Presidents Washington to Carter). Presidents Hoover through Carter chose to donate their records to NARA, along with the Presidential Library buildings where they are stored.

While these Presidents had control over their personal papers, they lacked control over the classification status of any records that were classified. The classification status of the information in the papers remained under the control of the U.S. Government.

The Nixon records, including the Watergate tapes, were seized and transferred to NARA in 1974 by a federal law, known as the Presidential Recordings and Materials Preservation Act (PRMPA), 44 U.S.C. 2111, note. In response to the Nixon issue, Congress enacted the Presidential Records Act in 1978 to change legal ownership of Presidential records from the President to the United States Government, which took effect at the beginning of the Reagan administration.

Did NARA provide archival assistance to the Trump Administration during the transition of records at the end of his administration?

Yes. As explained in NARA’s April 27, 2023, press statement, NARA’s General Counsel sent a letter on February 10, 2023, to the House Committee on Oversight and Accountability, clarifying a prior response he had given to the Committee. The letter explained that NARA did send staff members to the White House in the final weeks of the Trump Administration to assist with the move of the physical records (including artifacts), which was similar to the assistance that NARA had provided to the White House during the three previous Presidential transitions.

What are “personal records” under the Presidential Records Act (PRA)?

Under the PRA, "’personal records’ means all documentary materials of a purely private or nonpublic character which do not relate to or have an effect upon the carrying out of the constitutional, statutory, or other official or ceremonial duties of the President.” This includes

(A) diaries, journals, or other personal notes serving as the functional equivalent of a diary or journal which are not prepared or utilized for, or circulated or communicated in the course of, transacting Government business;

(B) materials relating to private political associations, and having no relation to or direct effect upon the carrying out of constitutional, statutory, or other official or ceremonial duties of the President; and

(C) materials relating exclusively to the President’s own election to the office of the Presidency; and materials directly relating to the election of a particular individual or individuals to Federal, State, or local office, which have no relation to or direct effect upon the carrying out of constitutional, statutory, or other official or ceremonial duties of the President.

What are “Presidential records” under the Presidential Records Act (PRA)?

"’Presidential records’ means documentary materials created or received by the President, the President’s immediate staff, or a unit or individual of the Executive Office of the President whose function is to advise or assist the President, in the course of conducting activities which relate to or have an effect upon the carrying out of the constitutional, statutory, or other official or ceremonial duties of the President.”

April 27, 2023, statement

The April 24, 2023, letter from Timothy Parlatore, John Rowley, James Trusty, and Lindsey Halligan to House Permanent Selection Committee on Intelligence Chairman Mike Turner incorrectly states that the National Archives and Records Administration (NARA) “declined to provide archival assistance to President Trump’s transition team.” In a February 10, 2023, letter to House Committee on Oversight and Accountability Chairman James Comer (which is available online), NARA General Counsel Gary M. Stern clarified a response that he had given during his January 31, 2023, interview with the Committee:

I stated at the interview that it was my recollection that NARA had not provided such assistance. Following the interview, I checked with my colleagues, and I was informed that, in fact, NARA did send staff members to the White House in the final weeks of the Trump Administration to assist with the move of the physical records (including artifacts), in coordination with the DOD team that NARA employed to transport the records from the White House complex to the National Archives. It is my understanding that this support was logistical in nature and did not involve providing records management guidance. In addition, NARA staff provided on-site transition support to the National Security Council. (The transfer of the electronic records was done by a different process that did not necessitate NARA staff to be onsite.)

Mr. Stern’s letter also described how this assistance was similar to the assistance that NARA had provided to the White House during the three previous Presidential transitions.

The packing of boxes and transfer of records from the White House to NARA at the end of each Administration is always managed and controlled by White House and NSC officials. While NARA routinely provides assistance, the NARA staff work under the direction of the White House.

April 12, 2023, statement

Recent press stories and social media posts concerning NARA’s actions in relation to the Department of Justice (DOJ) investigation into materials held by former President Donald J. Trump at his Mar-a-Lago property allege that NARA has been untruthful about our activities. This is not accurate. These allegations confuse NARA’s statutory role in providing access to records under the Presidential Records Act (PRA) with the DOJ investigation and the FBI’s subsequent search of Mar-a-Lago.

NARA routinely makes Presidential records in our legal custody available to all three branches of the federal government via the “special access” provision of the PRA (44 U.S.C. 2205(2)). This provision authorizes Executive branch agencies, such as the Department of Justice, to make requests through the sitting President.

NARA’s core mission is to make records available for access. By providing records under the PRA, NARA does not consider itself to be involved in the work of, or investigations by, the requestors. This stands true whether the requestor is the President, an Executive branch agency, Congress, or a Court (including via grand jury subpoenas).

As NARA publicly disclosed more than seven months ago, NARA provided the FBI with access to the 15 boxes of materials from Mar-a-Lago in accordance with the PRA. As we have stated previously, NARA had no prior knowledge of, or involvement in, the FBI’s search of Mar-a-Lago, which occurred months after NARA first provided the FBI with access to the 15 boxes.

The PRA special access request process for the Mar-a-Lago boxes was described in the May 10, 2022, letter from Acting Archivist of the United States Debra Steidel Wall to Evan Corcoran, one of former President Trump’s PRA representatives, which NARA posted on its website in August 2022. This letter states that the Department of Justice asked “the President to request that NARA provide the FBI with access to the boxes at issue so that the FBI and others in the Intelligence Community could examine them. On April 11, 2022, the White House Counsel’s Office — affirming a request from the Department of Justice supported by an FBI letterhead memorandum — formally transmitted a request that NARA provide the FBI access to the 15 boxes for its review within seven days, with the possibility that the FBI might request copies of specific documents following its review of the boxes.” The Acting Archivist’s letter addressed the privilege issues raised by the representative of President Trump and concluded that: “NARA will provide the FBI access to the records in question, as requested by the incumbent President, beginning as early as Thursday, May 12, 2022.”

Records we have released in response to Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) requests about Presidential and Vice-Presidential records are available here:

March 31, 2023, statement

Today, the National Archives and Records Administration (NARA) is making its sixth release of documents processed in response to nearly 50 Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) requests seeking NARA records related to the 15 boxes of materials we received from former President Donald Trump’s Mar-a-Lago property in January 2022.

Today’s release consists of 542 pages of records. Due to pending litigation, we are not able to offer additional comment on today’s release.

February 28, 2023, statement

Today, the National Archives and Records Administration (NARA) is making its fifth release of documents processed in response to nearly 50 Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) requests seeking NARA records related to the 15 boxes of materials we received from former President Donald Trump’s Mar-a-Lago property in January 2022.

Today’s release consists of 25 pages of records. NARA will continue to review additional responsive information in the coming months for possible release. Due to pending litigation, we are not able to offer additional comment on today’s release.

February 10, 2023, statement

Today, the National Archives and Records Administration (NARA) is making its first Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) release of documents related to the transfer of Obama-era Presidential records from President Biden to NARA, beginning in November 2022.

NARA has received more than 25 FOIA requests related to NARA’s receipt of these records. We are processing the requests on a rolling basis and posting any non-exempt, responsive records at https://www.archives.gov/foia/biden-vp-records-covered-by-pra. Today’s release consists of 74 pages of communications between NARA and President Biden’s personal attorneys.

January 31, 2023, statement

Today, the National Archives and Records Administration (NARA) is making its fourth release of documents processed in response to nearly 50 Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) requests seeking NARA records related to the 15 boxes of materials we received from former President Donald Trump’s Mar-a-Lago property in January 2022.

Today’s release consists of 62 pages of records. NARA will continue to review additional responsive information in the coming months for possible release. Due to pending litigation, we are not able to offer additional comment on today’s release.

December 20, 2022, statement

Today, the National Archives and Records Administration (NARA) is making its third release of documents processed in response to nearly 50 Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) requests seeking NARA records related to the 15 boxes of materials we received from former President Donald Trump’s Mar-a-Lago estate in January 2022.

Today’s release consists of 573 pages of internal NARA emails related to the 15 boxes (266 pages in full and 307 with parts redacted). We are withholding 1,832 pages in full, under FOIA exemptions that apply to: (1) NARA’s internal deliberations and privileged communications with Trump’s Presidential Records Act representatives, federal agencies, and Congress (exemption (b)(5)); (2) information that, if released, would result in a clearly unwarranted invasion of personal privacy (exemption (b)(6)); and (3) information concerning active law enforcement proceedings and efforts (exemptions (b)(7)(A), (b)(7)(C) and (b)(7)(E)).

NARA will continue to review additional responsive information in the coming months for possible release. Due to pending litigation, we are not able to offer additional comment on today’s release.

November 9, 2022, statement

Today, the National Archives and Records Administration (NARA) is making its second release of documents processed in response to numerous Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) requests for NARA records related to the 15 boxes we received in January 2022 from former President Trump’s Mar-a-Lago, Florida estate.

News reports surrounding the boxes and presence of classified information resulted in dozens of requests for these records from the press, members of Congress and the public. Today’s release consists of communications between NARA officials related to the 15 boxes. We expect to process more internal communications related to the 15 boxes for release in December.

We are releasing 23 pages in full and 52 pages in part. We are withholding 855 pages in full. Most of the requested documents are being withheld under FOIA exemptions that apply (1) to NARA’s internal deliberations and privileged communications with PRA representatives, with federal agencies, and with Congress (FOIA exemption (b)(5)); (2) to information that involves personal privacy interests (FOIA exemption (b)(6)); and (3) to information concerning active law enforcement proceedings and efforts (FOIA exemptions (b)(7)(A), (b)(7)(C) and (b)(7)(E)).

NARA will continue to review additional responsive information in the coming months for possible release.

We are not able to comment more on today’s release because of pending litigation.

This statement is also posted online here: Press Statements in Response to Media Queries About Presidential Records.

October 11, 2022, statement

The National Archives and Records Administration (NARA), in accordance with the Presidential Records Act, assumed physical and legal custody of the Presidential records from the administrations of Barack Obama, George W. Bush, Bill Clinton, George H.W. Bush, and Ronald Reagan, when those Presidents left office. NARA securely moved these records to temporary facilities that NARA leased from the General Services Administration (GSA), near the locations of the future Presidential Libraries that former Presidents built for NARA. All such temporary facilities met strict archival and security standards, and have been managed and staffed exclusively by NARA employees. Reports that indicate or imply that those Presidential records were in the possession of the former Presidents or their representatives, after they left office, or that the records were housed in substandard conditions, are false and misleading.

October 3, 2022, statement

Today, the National Archives and Records Administration (NARA) is releasing documents processed in response to numerous Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) requests for NARA records related to the 15 boxes that we received in January 2022 from former President Trump’s Mar-a-Lago, Florida estate.

News reports surrounding the boxes and presence of classified information resulted in dozens of requests for these records from the press, members of Congress and the public. Today’s release is for two categories of requested records dated through March 2022: “Category 1,” communications between NARA officials and Presidential Records Act (PRA) representatives of former President Trump, and “Category 2,” communications from NARA to external entities other than Trump representatives (including the Department of Justice, the White House, Congress, and other third parties).

We are releasing 11 pages in Category 1, and withholding 298 pages in full. We are releasing 54 pages in Category 2, and withholding 1,249 pages in full. Most of the requested documents are being withheld under FOIA exemptions that apply (1) to privileged communications with PRA representatives and with federal agencies (FOIA exemption (b)(5)); (2) to protect personal privacy (FOIA exemption (b)(6)); and (3) to information concerning active law enforcement proceedings and efforts (FOIA exemptions (b)(7)(A), (b)(7)(C) and (b)(7)(E)).

NARA will continue to review additional responsive information in the coming months for possible release.

We are not able to comment more on today’s release because of pending litigation.

This statement is also posted online here, and in NARA’s FOIA Reading Room page on Records Released In Response to Presidential Records Act (PRA) questions under the Trump Administration.

September 23, 2022, statement

The National Archives and Records Administration (NARA) administers the Barack Obama Presidential Library, located in Hoffman Estates, Illinois, a suburb of Chicago. The library holds records from the Obama presidential administration and is leased, controlled, managed, and used exclusively by NARA. The Obama Foundation, an independent entity, has never had control over the records in Hoffman Estates. All records in that facility are stored and managed by NARA in accordance with archival storage standards, and all classified records were stored in an appropriately secured compartment within the facility. NARA moved these records at the end of the Obama administration to the Hoffman Estates facility under the assumption that former President Obama and his Foundation would be building and transferring to NARA a traditional, physical Presidential Library in the Chicago area. When former President Obama decided that he would not build a physical, NARA-operated Presidential Library, NARA transported the classified records back to secure locations in the Washington, DC, metropolitan area. The Obama Foundation provided NARA with funds to help convert the Hoffman Estates facility and to cover some of the expenses of moving the classified records, but the foundation has never had possession or control over the records.

September 8, 2022, statement

Some news outlets and individuals on social media are mistakenly reporting that the National Archives and Records Administration (NARA) confirmed that a large number of boxes of Presidential records are missing from the Barack Obama administration. This is false. NARA has never issued any such statement and is not aware of any missing boxes of Presidential records from the Obama administration.

August 12, 2022, statement

The National Archives and Records Administration (NARA) assumed exclusive legal and physical custody of Obama Presidential records when President Barack Obama left office in 2017, in accordance with the Presidential Records Act (PRA). NARA moved approximately 30 million pages of unclassified records to a NARA facility in the Chicago area where they are maintained exclusively by NARA. Additionally, NARA maintains the classified Obama Presidential records in a NARA facility in the Washington, DC, area. As required by the PRA, former President Obama has no control over where and how NARA stores the Presidential records of his Administration.

February 8, 2022, statement

Throughout the course of the last year, NARA obtained the cooperation of Trump representatives to locate Presidential records that had not been transferred to the National Archives at the end of the Trump administration. When a representative informed NARA in December 2021 that they had located some records, NARA arranged for them to be securely transported to Washington. NARA officials did not visit or "raid" the Mar-a-Lago property.

February 7, 2022, statement

In mid-January 2022, NARA arranged for the transport from the Trump Mar-a-Lago property in Florida to the National Archives of 15 boxes that contained Presidential records, following discussions with President Trump’s representatives in 2021. Former President Trump’s representatives have informed NARA that they are continuing to search for additional Presidential records that belong to the National Archives.

As required by the Presidential Records Act (PRA), these records should have been transferred to NARA from the White House at the end of the Trump Administration in January 2021.

“The Presidential Records Act mandates that all Presidential records must be properly preserved by each Administration so that a complete set of Presidential records is transferred to the National Archives at the end of the Administration,” said Archivist of the United States David S. Ferriero. “NARA pursues the return of records whenever we learn that records have been improperly removed or have not been appropriately transferred to official accounts.”

Ferriero further stressed the importance of adherence to the PRA by all Presidents.

“The Presidential Records Act is critical to our democracy, in which the government is held accountable by the people,” Ferriero said. “Whether through the creation of adequate and proper documentation, sound records management practices, the preservation of records, or the timely transfer of them to the National Archives at the end of an Administration, there should be no question as to need for both diligence and vigilance. Records matter.”

January 31, 2022, statement

Some of the Trump presidential records received by the National Archives and Records Administration included paper records that had been torn up by former President Trump. As has been reported in the press since 2018, White House records management officials during the Trump Administration recovered and taped together some of the torn-up records. These were turned over to the National Archives at the end of the Trump Administration, along with a number of torn-up records that had not been reconstructed by the White House. The Presidential Records Act requires that all records created by presidents be turned over to the National Archives at the end of their administrations.