Alyssa Farah Griffin @AlyssafarahStunning. In the audio, Trump admits the info is classified, discusses the contents of the docs w/people without clearances, & acknowledges he can’t declassify when he’s not POTUS. This violates numerous rules of handling classified info legally & safely.https://twitter.com/Alyssafarah/status/1673484117810266113Harry Litman @harrylitmanThe tape -- which the jury will hear whether or not Trump testifies -- is devastating. He says "this is what DoD gave me." and "I should have declassified it then now I can't." and "this is him[Milley."] & "it is like highly confidential and secret" to the guffaws of audience.https://twitter.com/harrylitman/status/1673492317456482304'This Is Still Secret’: CNN Obtains Audio Of Trump Discussing Sensitive Military Document“I have a big pile of papers. This thing just came up," the former president said in the clip.
CNN obtained audio of former President Donald Trump discussing sensitive military documents he took with him after leaving the White House.
In the 2-minute audio clip, Trump can be heard describing a document compiled by Gen. Mark Milley, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff when Trump was president, on the potential attacks against Iran. The discussion of the file was recorded during a 2021 meeting in Bedminster, New Jersey, with people working on Milley’s memoir.
“He said that I wanted to attack Iran. Isn’t it amazing?” Trump says of Milley in the audio clip as the sound is heard of that appears to be shuffling papers. “I have a big pile of papers. This thing just came up. Look. This was him. They presented me this ― this is off the record, but ― they presented me this. This was him. This was the Defense Department and him.”
“All sorts of stuff, pages long. Let’s see here,” the former president continues. “Isn’t that amazing. This totally wins my case, you know, except that it is like highly confidential, secret, this is secret information.”
Trump went on to say the papers he was showing his guest were classified.
“See, as president I could have declassified it,” Trump said in the clip. “Now I can’t, you know, but this is still a secret.”
Listen Here: https://twitter.com/i/status/1673487904465616896The recording is reportedly a key piece of evidence in special counsel Jack Smith’s case into Trump’s handling of classified files after his presidency.
Federal prosecutors indicted Trump on 37 criminal counts this month, accusing the former president of repeatedly risking national security and undermining the government’s efforts to see the return of boxes of documents from his Mar-a-Lago club in Florida. The indictment cites the conversation obtained by CNN.
Trump has rejected the claims and pleaded not guilty to all counts. He has said he had the absolute right to take anything he wanted when he left the White House under the Presidential Records Act and that he had a standing order to declassify anything removed from the Oval Office during his presidency.
Prosecutors, however, appear to have homed in on Trump’s own words during their investigation. The indictment lays out at least two conversations — including the one in the CNN file — in which he acknowledged material in his possession was still classified.
https://www.huffpost.com/entry/trump-audio-cnn-sensitive-military-documents_n_649a1d19e4b09fcde59d6d54New recording shows Trump discussing ‘secret’ documents he did not declassify
A newly released audio recording obtained by CNN includes former President Trump discussing holding onto classified documents in a 2021 meeting in Bedminster, New Jersey.
The recording, which first aired on CNN’s “Anderson Cooper 360,” offers new insights into a conversation that is a piece of evidence in special counsel Jack Smith’s indictment against Trump over mishandling classified documents and attempting to keep them from the government. According to the indictment, the conversation took place during an interview with a writer and publisher for a book at his Bedminster golf club in New Jersey on July 21, 2021.
The two-minute recording suggests that Trump was holding pieces of classified information about the Pentagon’s plans to attack Iran. The recording starts off with Trump saying, “these are bad sick people,” while his staffer pointed to Gen. Mark Milley, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff.
“He said that I wanted to attack Iran, Isn’t it amazing? I have a big pile of papers, this thing just came up. Look. This was him. They presented me this – this is off the record but – they presented me this. This was him. This was the Defense Department and him,” Trump said on the recording, as the sound of papers shuffling could be heard in the background.
“I was just thinking, because we were talking about it. And you know, he said, ‘He wanted to attack Iran, and what…” Trump could be heard saying before adding, “These are the papers.”
Other lines from the conversation, including Trump being heard saying that the document was still classified, but “as president I could have declassified it” were included in the indictment. In an additional part of the recording, Trump could also be heard saying “it’s incredible” before asking someone to “bring some Cokes in please.”
“It’s so cool. I mean, it’s so, look, her and I, and you probably almost didn’t believe me, but now you believe me,” Trump said.
A spokesperson for Trump’s legal team told The Hill they had no comment at this time.
https://thehill.com/regulation/court-battles/4068994-new-recording-shows-trump-discussing-secret-documents-he-did-not-declassify-report/Conway explains how new Trump audio is a ‘nail in the coffin’CNN has exclusively obtained the audio recording of the 2021 meeting in Bedminster, New Jersey, where former President Donald Trump discusses holding secret documents he did not declassify. Conservative lawyer George Conway reacts.
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