Mixed Media – Paper (44 U.S. Code Chapter 22: details the ownership of presidential records), toilet paper, crochet thread, 2022.

“The United States shall reserve and retain complete ownership, possession, and control of Presidential records; and such records shall be administered in accordance with the provisions of this chapter”

- §2202. Ownership of Presidential records (Added Pub. L. 95–591, §2(a), Nov. 4, 1978, 92 Stat. 2524.)

In addition to Trump’s theft of presidential records after leaving office and then the numerous reports of his mishandling of classified documents, (including storing documents in his Mar-a-Lago bathroom, I might add) the news came out about his frequent flushing records down the toilet.

These weavings were an immediate response to the news coming out about Trump flushing presidential records down the toilet.

The weavings are a mix of 44 U.S. Code Chapter 22 - which details the ownership of presidential records - and toilet paper. 44 U.S. Code Chapter 22 states that “The United States shall reserve and retain complete ownership, possession, and control of Presidential records; and such records shall be administered in accordance with the provisions of this chapter.” The chapter details how the President must work with the Presidential Archivist. “The Archivist is authorized to dispose of such Presidential records which the Archivist has appraised and determined to have insufficient administrative, historical, informational, or evidentiary value to warrant their continued preservation.” Effectively, Presidential records belong to the people, not the president or former president. Once again, there is code, a document to point to that Trump has flagrantly broken. I have underlined those parts in black.

It is a ridiculous story to have to listen to and mull over as an American. That our President, or former President, would flush records down the toilet. To have such disregard - to say nothing of the motives behind why he would be flushing documents down the toilet - is an insult to the American people. These are our records, our history, our paper trail. These records to not belong to Trump, they belong to the office of the President which means they belong to us, the American people. Trump figuratively, if not literally at times, was caught shitting all over our stuff. It’s disrespectful of the office of the President, of the American people, and it’s breaking 44 U.S. Code Chapter 22. I’m pissed about it and you should be too.

If you’d like to see some news coverage, CNN covered the story August 8, 2022 in Photos show handwritten notes that Trump apparently ripped up and attempted to flush down toilet

And it came out later that aid would need to recover said toilet documents . . . gross. Vanity Fair reported it here on February 13, 2023 Report: Trump’s Habit of Clogging Toilets With Government Documents Even Grosser Than Previously Thought

If you want to see the actual photos of bathroom storage with your own eyes, check out this CBS News story from June 9, 2023 See pictures from Trump indictment that allegedly show boxes of classified documents in Mar-a-Lago bathroom

To read more about the ownership of Presidential records, check out the full 44 U.S. Code Chapter 22 here.

“In some cases, Mr. Trump tore up documents and threw them in toilets in the White House. Aides would periodically retrieve what was not flushed down and let it dry, then tape it back together and pass the documents on to the staff secretary, whose office managed presidential paper flow, according to two people familiar with what took place.”

The New York Times - Feb. 12, 2023