Former Trump administration employee says leaked audio of sensitive papers demonstrates he ‘did nothing wrong.’
In a leaked video received by numerous news sites on Tuesday, former President Trump can be heard discussing confidential material.
The audio shows Trump speaking with advisers while holding a Pentagon paper outlining preparations to strike Iran, despite previously assuring Fox News host Bret Baier that no such document existed.
“These are the papers,” Trump says on the tape as he discusses the Pentagon documents. The former president mentioned Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Gen. Mark Milley, who he said gave Iran a plan of attack via the Pentagon.
“Isn’t it amazing that he said I wanted to attack Iran?” Milley, Trump says. “I have a lot of papers, and this just came up.” Look. He was the one. They gave me this – this is off the record – but they gave me this. He was the one. This was him and the Defense Department.”
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“I was just thinking because we were discussing it.” And he added, ‘He wants to invade Iran, and what…,'” Trump said.
“These are the papers,” Trump said further.
The sound of papers ruffling can be heard throughout Trump’s remarks. The tape contradicts Trump’s claims to Fox News on June 19, when he informed host Bret Baier that he had not shown anybody a “document.”
“There was no record. “There were a lot of papers and everything else talking about Iran and other things,” Trump said to Baier. “It may or may not have been held up, but that was not a document.” I didn’t have a formal paperwork. Nothing needed to be declassified. These were newspaper articles, magazine pieces, and newspaper tales.”
The video from Tuesday also captures Trump addressing his ability to declassify information, which was a crucial part of his response to previous charges on the subject.
“See, as president, I could have declassified it,” Trump pointed out. “Now, you know, I can’t, but this is still a secret.”
“Now we have a problem,” a staff member responds.
“Isn’t that interesting,” Trump says towards the end?
Monday night, a Trump spokeswoman replied to the released recording, claiming it demonstrates Trump committed no crime.
“The audio tape provides context, demonstrating once more that President Trump did nothing wrong.” “The President is speaking rhetorically and quite humorously about a very perverted individual, Anthony Weiner, who was deep inside the corrupt Clinton campaign,” the Daily Caller’s spokesperson said. “Once again, the media and Trump detractors were all too eager to take the bait, falling for another Democrat-DOJ hoax, hook, line, and sinker.”
