Donald Trump heard on tape talking about classified documents he kept after leaving the White House
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Donald Trump was recorded on tape suggesting that he had kept a classified Pentagon document about a potential attack on Iran after leaving the White House.
Donald Trump was recorded on tape suggesting that he had kept a classified Pentagon document about a potential attack on Iran after leaving the White House.
The tape recording is of a meeting in July 2021 held at Mr Trump’s golf club in Bedminster, New Jersey.
It involved two people working on an autobiography for Mark Meadows, Mr Trump’s former chief of staff, and several aides to the former president.
Margo Martin, a communications specialist for Mr Trump, regularly recorded interviews he did for books.
She was reportedly asked about the July 2021 Bedminster recording during an appearance in front of a grand jury as part of the Justice Department investigation.
The portion relating to the Iran document was said to be about two minutes long.
Mr Trump was reportedly angry with General Mark Milley, who was chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff during his presidency.
An article had recently appeared in the New Yorker suggesting that Gen Milley had, in the final days of the presidency, asked to be kept informed if Mr Trump issued any unlawful orders.
On the tape recording Mr Trump reportedly referred to the Iran attack document, which he said was from Gen Milley.
There was reportedly a sound of rustling paper and laughter, with Mr Trump suggesting the document was in front of him and it would undermine Gen Milley if people knew about it.
The Iran document was not produced by Gen Milley, CNN reported.
An account of the meeting was later included in Mr Meadows’ autobiography.
It describes how Mr Trump “recalls a four-page report” which “contained the general’s own plan to attack Iran, deploying massive numbers of troops”.
Mr Trump has denied any wrongdoing, claiming that he declassified all documents in his possession.
He has said that a president can declassify information “even by thinking about it”.
Steven Cheung, a Trump campaign spokesman, declined to comment on reports of a recording, but condemned “leaks” from the Justice Department investigation.
He said: “Leaks from radical partisans behind this political persecution are designed to inflame tensions and continue the media’s harassment of president Trump and his supporters.”
The Justice Department declined to comment.
James Trusty, a lawyer representing Mr Trump said: “When he left for Mar-a-Lago with boxes of documents that other people packed for him that he brought, he was the commander in chief.
“There is no doubt that he has the constitutional authority as commander in chief to declassify.”
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