On Wednesday CNN broke the news that the National Archives had been ordered to hand over 16 documents related to TFG’s claim that he had declassified the classified documents he had been playing musical chairs with at MAGAlago. These documents had been subject to a series of legal challenges from TFG, and in the end, and once again, he lost.

As the story is based on unnamed sources, it’s a flat description of the scope of the documents, which prove TFG lied when he said he had declassified them. Because he wasn’t allowed to have any of the documents in the first place, declassified or not, it sems like an interesting, if minor, story, but it’s a straightforward story in a refreshing contrast to the on-air nonsense of the last week.

But CNN misses one important ramification of the request for these documents:  possible espionage charges. We know that that was one of the concerns that led to the raid because the search was looking for National Defense Information documents. It’s a bit weird that neither the initial story nor any of its updates note this. Then again, this is CNN.

And CNN gonna CNN, because on Thursday it featured a hand-wringing piece by Stephen Collinson askinghand-wringing piece by Stephen Collinson asking if it’s really worth it to indict TFG:

If Cobb is right and Smith could be moving toward an indictment, Americans could soon be wrestling with an increasingly familiar question: What is the appropriate way to hold to account a president and presidential candidate whose core political model is rooted in breaking all the rules but whose indictment could further inflame an already deeply polarized nation?

Are you forking kidding me? But wait, there’s more—here’s the next subheading:

Where does the national interest lie in pursuing Trump?

Personally I don’t think this is a “both sides” issue, but don’t worry—CNN is on the case:

There is a clear national interest in protecting classified information and enforcing laws surrounding presidential conduct in order to prevent an erosion of the political institutions that underpin the democracy that Trump has tried so often to weaken. And there is also a national interest in proving that no one — whether they are a president or ex-president is above the law.

At the same time however, there is also a profound national interest in the peaceful conduct of a presidential election that all Americans see as fair. And Trump has already successfully cast deep suspicion on the motives of the Justice Department and the Biden administration – arguing, that he is the target of a coordinated campaign of political persecution.

Yikes. “Yes, TFG might have given sensitive national security information to Putin, but doesn’t that give Joe Biden an unfair advantage?” is quite the hot take. But then again, all these so-called reporters understand is the simplistic horse race metaphor, which relieves them of the burden of thinking.

And I spoke too soon, because Collinson does break into a real life “both sides”:

The case is especially sensitive because Biden also had his own classified documents problem over material found in an office he used after leaving the vice presidency and his garage. The cases are distinct because there is no sign that the president deliberately took the documents and, unlike Trump, made no attempt to prevent their return to the Archives when they were found. But it will be easy for the ex-president and his allies to fog the details of these cases and make a political case that legal double standards are at play and there is a political motivation.

That’s the part where I started shouting. TFG took hot national security information and probably gave it to Russia and Saudi Arabia. HOWEVER Biden had cold 6+ year old documents locked in a room (not the garage as Collinson alleges) and didn’t give them to anyone, so what are you gonna do?

In case you weren’t sure if prosecuting a treasonous former president was the work of a healthy democracy, Collinson is there to provide cover for TFG:

It may be contrary to the national interest to ignore huge affronts to the rule of law by a previously sitting president – including alleged mishandling of classified information – since questions fundamental to American democracy are in play. But a prosecution could again create a political inferno that could further damage confidence among millions of Americans about the country’s legal and election systems.

Is this guy for real? I can’t anymore with these so-called reporters running interference for TFG. No more spin!