Imagine that former President Trump, on further reflection, elects to send 4,000 private military contractors to Afghanistan instead of U.S. troops.

U.S. v. McSlimey

Imagine that former President Trump, on further reflection, elects to send 4,000 private military contractors to Afghanistan instead of U.S. troops. It subsequently emerges that Trump’s National Security Advisor, one Q.R. McSlimey, is subsequently investigated and charged with accepting a bribe from Greenwater Security, Inc., to influence the President’s military decisions (without the President’s knowledge). Further imagine that federal prosecutors learn of detailed written notes summarizing a meeting between Trump, McSlimey, and several other high-level military advisors, at which McSlimey made an impassioned case for using private contractors instead of U.S. troops during a wide-ranging discussion of military strategy. If the federal district court issues a subpoena ordering President Trump to produce these notes for in-camera inspection, can the President claim executive privilege?