EXCLUSIVE: Trump captured on tape talking about classified document he kept after leaving the White House
By Katelyn Polantz, Paula Reid and Kaitlan Collins, CNN
Published 4:00 PM EDT, Wed May 31, 2023
Federal prosecutors have obtained an audio recording of a summer 2021 meeting in which former President Donald Trump acknowledges he held onto a classified Pentagon document about a potential attack on Iran, multiple sources told CNN, undercutting his argument that he declassified everything.
The recording indicates Trump understood he retained classified material after leaving the White House, according to multiple sources familiar with the investigation. On the recording, Trump’s comments suggest he would like to share the information but he’s aware of limitations on his ability post-presidency to declassify records, two of the sources said.
CNN has not listened to the recording, but multiple sources described it. One source said the relevant portion on the Iran document is about two minutes long, and another source said the discussion is a small part of a much longer meeting.
Special counsel Jack Smith, who is leading the Justice Department investigation into Trump, has focused on the meeting as part of the criminal investigation into Trump’s handling of national security secrets. Sources describe the recording as an “important” piece of evidence in a possible case against Trump, who has repeatedly asserted he could retain presidential records and “automatically” declassify documents.
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https://www.cnn.com/2023/05/31/politics/trump-tape-classified-document-iran-milley/index.html?utm_term=link&utm_content=2023-05-31T20%3A03%3A20&utm_source=twcnnbrk&utm_medium=social
