Forgot password
Enter the email address you used when you joined and we'll send you instructions to reset your password.
If you used Apple or Google to create your account, this process will create a password for your existing account.
This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.
Reset password instructions sent. If you have an account with us, you will receive an email within a few minutes.
Something went wrong. Try again or contact support if the problem persists.
Donald Trump
Brandon Bell/Getty Images)

Why did Donald Trump invoke the Fifth Amendment?

He once called those who do "disgraceful." What's changed?

The next phase in former President Donald Trump‘s ongoing civil investigation with the New York attorney general Letitia James has unfolded. This time, instead of answering questions during his deposition with the attorney general’s lawyers, the former President chose to plead the Fifth. 

Recommended Videos

The civil investigation between Trump and the New York attorney general probes into whether or not the former president falsified financial information to tax authorities and lenders and so as to avoid paying his financial weight in taxes.

Many might recall Trump’s adamant opposition pleading the Fifth, an opinion he has made known leading up to, and all throughout, his presidency. 

So why exactly has he pleaded the Fifth now? We’ll let Trump tell you.

Donald Trump speaking into a microphone
Chet Strange/Getty Images)

Trump was deposed by the New York attorney general’s lawyers on Aug. 10. In a public statement not more than an hour after the deposition he announced that he chose to invoke the Fifth Amendment. 

The move to do so comes just days after the FBI carried out a search warrant upon his Mar-a-Lago estate in Palm Beach, Florida. The search warrant was unrelated to his civil investigation with the New York attorney general and involved his removal of 15 boxes worth of classified documents from the White House, which he took with him after losing the election and leaving the oval office. 

Although hypocrisy and politics tend to go hand in hand, it’s worth noting that this isn’t the first time the former president has talked out of both sides of his mouth, if such a thing is even worth reiterating. As shown in this video from MSNBC, Trump once said in a 2016 campaign rally that “If you’re innocent, why are you taking the Fifth Amendment?” During the 2016 presidential debate he called pleading the fifth “disgraceful.” He also said: “If you’re not guilty of a crime what do you need immunity for?”

By no means is invoking the Fifth Amendment an admission of guilt like the former president once believed. It simply prevents the government from coercing information out of an individual and guarantees him or her protection from admitting to any potentially incriminating evidence. The Fifth Amendment quite literally says, “No person shall… be compelled in any criminal case to be a witness against himself.”

Trump addressed his change of heart in his public statement following his deposition on Aug. 10, recanting his previous opinion on the matter.

“I once asked, ‘If you’re innocent, why are you taking the Fifth Amendment?’ Now I know the answer to that question. When your family, your company, and all the people in your orbit have become the targets of an unfounded politically motivated Witch Hunt supported by lawyers, prosecutors and the Fake News Media, you have no choice.”

Trump’s time in and out of office has been marred by a succession of investigations and civil suits. That he could be charged with a crime is an unprecedented act in the history of the US presidency.


We Got This Covered is supported by our audience. When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn a small affiliate commission. Learn more about our Affiliate Policy
Author
Image of Cody Raschella
Cody Raschella
Cody Raschella is a Staff Editor who has been with WGTC since 2021. He is a closeted Swiftie (shh), a proud ‘Drag Race’ fan (yas), and a hopeless optimist (he still has faith in the MCU). His passion for writing has carried him across various mediums including journalism, copywriting, and creative writing, the latter of which has been recognized by Writer’s Digest. He received his bachelor's degree from California State University, Northridge.
twitter