Recently launched audio of Donald Trump obviously flaunting categorized files in 2021 might damage his defense versus federal charges.
CNN acquired the two-minute audio clip and played it Monday night on “Anderson Cooper 360.” The New York City Times likewise acquired the clip.
The discussion was a crucial part of the unique counsel Jack Smith’s indictment versus Trump, according to CNN, and occurred in July 2021 with Trump, 2 staffers together with an author and publisher who were dealing with then-chief of personnel Mark Meadows’ memoirs, the Times reported.
In the recording, documents can be heard shuffling and Trump recommends he is holding secret files about Pentagon strategies to assault Iran. “They provided me this– this is off the record however– they provided me this. This was him,” Trump stated, describing Gen. Mark Milley, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Personnel.
Trump can be heard stating the files are “extremely personal, secret. This is secret details.”
” See, as president I might have declassified it, today I can’t,” Trump continues.
Chuckling, a lady states “Now we have an issue.”
Previously this month, Trump pleaded innocent to 37 charges, consisting of unapproved retention of categorized files and blockage of justice, relating to categorized files incorrectly kept at his Mar-a-Lago estate in Florida.
In an interview with Fox News recently, Trump declared he did not have any classified files, and was referring because discussion to “paper stories, publication stories and posts.”
In a declaration Monday night, Trump representative Steven Cheung stated: “The audio tape supplies context proving, when again, that President Trump not did anything incorrect at all. The media and the Trump-haters when again were all too happy to take the bait, succumbing to another Democrat-DOJ scam, hook, line, and sinker.”