Donald Trump's White House visitor logs will stay secret until at least 2026 and cannot be forced open despite questions over who was there before Capitol Hill riot, White House says
The Biden Administration has determined it can't release information on the various officials who entered the White House grounds during the dramatic tense when President Donald Trump was waging a desperate bid to overturn the election results.
White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki told reporters Tuesday the administration couldn't provide information on the comings and goings of the prior White House, a day after DailyMail.com put the question to her.
'We cannot. That is under the purview of the National Archives so I’d certainly point you to there,' she said at Wednesday's briefing in response to a follow up question.
The information is of particular interest because the Trump administration did not provide public information about who was granted permission to be on White House grounds.
White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki said Wednesday the White House cannot release information about who came and went from the building during the last weeks of the Trump Administration
It will be years before the public can gain access to the information.
According to a statement released by the National Archives Public and Media Communications, 'NARA will accept FOIA requests for Trump Administration records beginning on January 20, 2026, in accordance with the Presidential Records Act. The PRA does not allow for public access requests until five years after the end of a presidential administration.'
In the tense days while Trump was contesting the election and leading up to the January 6 riot at the Capitol, officials connected to his overturn movement were only identified if they happened to be spotted by reporters or camera crews.
Among those spotted at the White House was Sidney Powell, who was involved in a series of 'kraken' lawsuits seeking to overturn election results in state courts.
She was seen at the White House days before Christmas, even after the Trump campaign had distanced itself from her following an infamous press conference where she described a conspiracy to rig the elections involving Venezuela, Cuba, China and Dominion voting machines.
Former Trump National Security Advisor Mike Flynn, who had publicly called for Trump to use martial law to rerun the election in states he lost, was at the White House for a meeting with Powell.
President Donald Trump stopped an Obama Administration policy of releasing records of people who entered the White House
Reporters had to look for clues such as a Marine outside the West Wing to determine when Trump was likely in the Oval Office during weeks after the election when the White House posted vague public schedules
Among those turning up was 'Kraken' lawyer Sidney Powell
Trump lawyer Rudy Giuliani also showed up in person at the White House as he led the overturn effort that didn't pan out in court
Founder and CEO of Overstock.com Patrick Byrne showed up for one heated meeting
The National Archives took ownership of Trump records after he left office
Days after the January 6 MAGA rally at the Capitol, MyPillow exec Mike Lindell was spotted at the White House. A Washington Post photographer obtained a close-up of papers carried by Lindell.
One ominous line said 'martial law if necessary upon the first hint of any....' Another line, partly obscured by Lindell's hand, most likely referenced the 'Insurrection Act' – the subject of discussion before after the election about use of forces inside the country. It said to 'Act now as a result of the assault on the ...'
Lindell said later he had met with the president. It did not appear on Trump's public schedule.
Psaki said the Biden White House would resume the Obama Administration practice of releasing quarterly updates on people who had been admitted to White House grounds.
She deferred to the National Archives and Records Administration, which became custodian of the Trump archives after Inauguration Day. That means they records could remain under seal for years under policies outlined under the Presidential Records Act.
One caveat is that the law does provide for lawmakers and law enforcement access to records as needed. It 'establishes procedures for Congress, courts, and subsequent Administrations to obtain “special access” to records from NARA that remain closed to the public, following a privilege review period by the former and incumbent Presidents,' according to the Archives.
Trump has chosen seven aides, many former White House counsel officials, to field information requests, Business Insider reported last month.
Among them is former White House Counsel Pat Cipollone, who represented Trump in his first impeachment, and signed onto numerous letters denying House Democrats access to information.
He was also a participant in dramatic White House encounters in the last days of the Trump administration, including one with former Overstock CEO Patrick Byrne, who turned up to tell existing staff they were quitters who weren't willing to commit to the election fight, according to Axios.
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