In newly revealed audio recordings, former President Donald Trump is heard acknowledging in a 2021 meeting that he possessed undisclosed military information which he had chosen not to declassify. The transcript of the recording, reportedly obtained by prosecutors, reveals Trump’s admission of withholding the referenced document from declassification.
According to CNN:
“As president, I could have declassified, but now I can’t,” Trump says, according to the transcript. “Secret. This is secret information. Look, look at this,” Trump says at one point, according to the transcript. “This was done by the military and given to me.”
Trump continues: “All sorts of stuff – pages long, look. Wait a minute, let’s see here. I just found, isn’t that amazing? This totally wins my case, you know. Except it is like, highly confidential. Secret. This is secret information. Look, look at this.”
The transcript of the audio recording suggests that Trump is showing the document he’s discussing to those in the room. Several sources have told CNN the recording captures the sound of paper rustling, as if Trump was waving the document around, though is not clear if it was the actual Iran document.
Trump was complaining in the meeting about Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Gen. Mark Milley. The meeting occurred shortly after The New Yorker published a story by Susan Glasser detailing how, in the final days of Trump’s presidency, Milley instructed the Joint Chiefs to ensure Trump issued no illegal orders and that he be informed if there was any concern.
In a stunning turn of events, the federal indictment against former president Donald Trump has sent shockwaves through the nation. With seven charges that could potentially lead to a whopping 75-year prison sentence if found guilty on all counts, the gravity of the situation cannot be overstated. These charges, which remarkably stem from an Espionage Act charge, have thrust Trump’s lawyer, Jim Trusty, into a high-stakes legal battle.
