Trump, Snowden, and Assange: A Tale of Two Standards

In the wake of the latest indictment against former President Donald Trump, many are once again raising the question of whether or not there are two standards for politicians when it comes to classified information.

Donald Trump and other Republicans have repeatedly argued that Edward Snowden and Julian Assange are traitors who should be punished for leaking classified information to the public. They have also argued that Snowden and Assange endangered national security by exposing classified information.

However, Trump himself has been accused of mishandling classified information. He was indicted on several federal counts related to his retention of classified documents after his presidency. Trump’s supporters have argued that his actions were not illegal and that he did not endanger national security. However, the charges against Trump suggest that he may have violated the law and put national security at risk.

The contradiction between Trump’s actions and his rhetoric on classified information is a reminder that politicians often have different standards for themselves than they do for others.

This is particularly evident in the case of Julian Assange. Assange, the founder of WikiLeaks, is currently being held in the UK awaiting extradition to the US, where he faces charges of espionage. Assange’s supporters argue that he is a journalist who was simply doing his job by exposing government wrongdoing. They also argue that he wouldn’t face a fair trial in the US, he would face inhumane treatment, and that his extradition would be a dangerous precedent that could chill investigative journalism.

The US government, on the other hand, argues that Assange is a flight risk and that he poses a threat to national security. They also argue that Assange has not been treated unfairly and that he has had ample opportunity to challenge his extradition.