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April 14, 2026
Historians sue over Trump administration's handling of presidential records
- The American Historical Association is suing the Trump administration for not adhering to the Presidential Records Act, which mandates the preservation of presidential documents.
- The National Archives has not committed to preserving records during the lawsuit, raising concerns about the potential loss of important historical documents.
- The Justice Department recently deemed the Presidential Records Act unconstitutional, complicating the obligation to maintain these records.
- Historians are seeking a court order to prevent the destruction of records and ensure that communications on encrypted messaging apps are preserved.
2 Sources
- Historians suing Trump administration say National Archives won’t commit to preserving presidential records during lawsuitApr 14, 2026 at 10:13 PM · CNN
- Historians sue DOJ as Trump shrugs off law meant to preserve White House papersApr 17, 2026 at 9:22 PM · NPR