Leaked audio footage to CNN of Trump discussing classified material

[Timber Rattler]

He's toast...

https://rumble.com/v2wk8wm-leaked-audio-footage-to-cnn-of-trump-discussing-classified-material.html

[American Girl]

The explanation I've heard is that he was showing newspaper clippings ABOUT the incident, not the classified plan itself. Based on previous FBI buffoonery when it comes to intentionally framing Donald Trump that sounds accurate.


https://www.rightjournalism.com/breaking-leaked-audio-recording-of-trump-showing-off-classified-files-fair-or-framed/

[LMAO]

Wow

[Kamaji]

Audio emerges of Trump apparently discussing ‘highly confidential’ classified docs detailing potential Iran attack

By Victor Nava
June 26, 2023

An audio recording has emerged of former President Donald Trump apparently discussing classified material in July of 2021 related to a potential military strike against Iran.

In the two-minute recording, obtained by CNN on Monday, Trump, 77, is heard shuffling through papers and discussing a purported plan hatched by Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Gen. Mark Milley to launch an attack against the US adversary while acknowledging that the information is “highly confidential” and “secret.”

“Well, with Milley – let me see that. I’ll show you an example,” Trump’s distinctive voice is heard saying on the recording.

“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,” the former president says, apparently while showing off the classified document.

Trump notes, “This is off the record” as he continues discussing the sensitive material.

“This was him. This was the Defense Department and him, we looked at some, this was him. This wasn’t done by me, this was him … all sorts of stuff … pages long.”

The taped conversation reportedly happened at Trump’s Bedminster, N.J., golf club, where the former president met with individuals helping write an autobiography of Mark Meadows, Trump’s last White House chief of staff.

A redacted transcript of the recording was included in special counsel Jack Smith’s indictment against Trump and is presented as a key piece of evidence in the government’s case against the former president over accusations that he willfully retained national defense information after leaving office.

Smith noted in the indictment that “none” of the parties involved in the conversation – a writer, a publisher, and two members of his staff – “possessed a security clearance.”

“Isn’t that amazing? This totally wins my case, You know? Except it is like highly confidential, secret information,” Trump says in the tape.

*  *  *

Source:  https://nypost.com/2023/06/26/audio-emerges-of-trump-apparently-discussing-highly-confidential-classified-documents/

[Kamaji]

Doesn't sound good.

[Wingnut]

I'm sure it is an AI generated voice of Trump and that he was never in the presence of those people..../s

[mystery-ak]

CNN Airs Audio of Trump Allegedly Showing People ‘Highly Confidential, Secret’ Documents

Pam Key 26 Jun 2023

Monday, CNN aired a recording of former President Donald Trump talking about “highly confidential, secret” documents at his club in Bedminster, NJ.

Cooper said, “We begin tonight with breaking news. We have obtained what is expected to be a central piece of the government’s case against Donald Trump, the actual audio recording of the former president talking as if he’s showing a highly classified document on US war plans against Iran with people not cleared to even know it exists, let alone what’s in it. In a moment only on CNN you will hear what jurors will hear one day.”

He continued, “The recording was made two summers ago, July 2021 at the former president’s club in Bedminster, New Jersey. You will clearly hear the former president, as he is speaking to several people. According to the special council’s indictment, they include a writer working on Mark Meadows’ memoir, the publisher, and two of Trump’s staff members. The president was aware he was being recorded. It is the first time it is being played publicly.”

In an audio Trump said, “These are bad sick people.”

With the sound of papers moving, Trump continued, “With Milley, let me see that. I’ll show you an example. 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. We looked at some. This wasn’t done by me. All sorts of stuff, pages long, look. Let’s see here. It’s that amazing This totally wins my case, you know. Except it is, like, highly confidential, secret. This is secret information. But look, look at this. You attack.”

Later in the audio, Trump said, “When I was president, I could have declassified it, now I can’t.”

https://www.breitbart.com/clips/2023/06/26/cnn-airs-audio-of-trump-allegedly-showing-people-highly-confidential-secret-documents/

[mystery-ak]

https://twitter.com/andycat3/status/1673501937659170817

[mystery-ak]

 Trump claims new documents recording exonerates him
by Julia Shapero - 06/27/23 8:16 AM ET

Former President Trump late Monday claimed without providing details that a newly released audio recording of him discussing a “highly confidential” document that remained in his possession after leaving the White House is “actually an exoneration.”

“The Deranged Special Prosecutor, Jack Smith, working in conjunction with the DOJ & FBI, illegally leaked and ‘spun’ a tape and transcript of me which is actually an exoneration, rather than what they would have you believe,” he said in a post on Truth Social.

“This continuing Witch Hunt is another ELECTION INTERFERENCE Scam,” Trump added. “They are cheaters and thugs!”

The recording, which was obtained by CNN, features a conversation between Trump and a writer and publisher at his Bedminster golf club in New Jersey in July, 2021. The conversation was part of special counsel Jack Smith’s 37-count indictment against the former president over Trump’s handling of classified materials.

Trump can be heard discussing an apparent Pentagon document about plans to attack Iran, acknowledging that it is “highly confidential” and “secret information” and joking that “Hillary would print that out all the time, you know, her private emails.”

Despite Trump’s claims that the recording is an “exoneration,” it appears to show that he was aware of how classification works and still retained national defense information.

more
https://thehill.com/regulation/court-battles/4069253-trump-claims-new-documents-recording-exonerates-him/

[Kamaji]

How is this recording an exoneration?

[Smokin Joe]

Just curious, but who leaked it?
Where did they get it?

[MOD7]

Merged Topics

[cato potatoe]

How is this recording an exoneration?

Trump thinks he can convince us they were rummaging through magazine articles.  Jack Smith would have interviewed the person recording the conversation, and I find it hard to believe he didn't ask multiple witnesses about the appearance of the documents.

[Kamaji]

Trump thinks he can convince us they were rummaging through magazine articles.  Jack Smith would have interviewed the person recording the conversation, and I find it hard to believe he didn't ask multiple witnesses about the appearance of the documents.

Agreed.

[Maj. Bill Martin]

I don't know...I mean, it doesn't sound to me like he's showing newspaper clippings (I assume that would refer to printouts of digital articles rather than newsprint).  He's talking as if the papers he is showing are first hand proof that it was a proposal from Milley and a newspaper article wouldn't do that.

But to be honest, I think Trump is confused over exactly what he's showing.  The military prepares various contingency plans for all sorts of military operations that are never implemented. If there came a time where it was appropriate to attack Iran, you wouldn't want to start from ground zero with devising a plan.  So you have plans drawn up that would include specific sites to be targeted, air defenses, etc. That's pretty standard stuff.

At the same time, I'd be curious to hear exactly what Milley said because that logic goes both ways.  Just because Trump may have asked to see contingency plans at some time, or even asked the Pentagon to come up with some options, is not the same thing as ordering an actual strike.  So the only relevant underlying issue would be whether Trump ever did order an actual strike, which I'm quite sure never happened or we'd either hear about the strike, or that the order was refused.

Leaving all that aside, and assuming that Trump did actually show the plans to that woman, he's a idiot for having done so.

[Kamaji]

I don't know...I mean, it doesn't sound to me like he's showing newspaper clippings (I assume that would refer to printouts of digital articles rather than newsprint).  He's talking as if the papers he is showing are first hand proof that it was a proposal from Milley and a newspaper article wouldn't do that.

But to be honest, I think Trump is confused over exactly what he's showing.  The military prepares various contingency plans for all sorts of military operations that are never implemented. If there came a time where it was appropriate to attack Iran, you wouldn't want to start from ground zero with devising a plan.  So you have plans drawn up that would include specific sites to be targeted, air defenses, etc. That's pretty standard stuff.

At the same time, I'd be curious to hear exactly what Milley said because that logic goes both ways.  Just because Trump may have asked to see contingency plans at some time, or even asked the Pentagon to come up with some options, is not the same thing as ordering an actual strike.  So the only relevant underlying issue would be whether Trump ever did order an actual strike, which I'm quite sure never happened or we'd either hear about the strike, or that the order was refused.

Leaving all that aside, and assuming that Trump did actually show the plans to that woman, he's a idiot for having done so.

Whether it was the plans themselves, or an executive summary of the plans, if the document he was rustling through was classified, and he showed it to someone who did not have the appropriate classification, then he stepped in doo-doo big time.

[Maj. Bill Martin]

And just to be clear, I still think this whole thing stinks. The proper remedy for this if the allegations are true is for Trump's security clearance as an ex-president be revoked, and the documents recovered. End of story.

[corbe]

Just curious, but who leaked it?
Where did they get it?

   As usual while Trump is under a Court ordered gag order in this case the doj leaks like a sieve.

[Maj. Bill Martin]

   As usual while Trump is under a Court ordered gag order in this case the doj leaks like a sieve.

My understanding is that these audio tapes were made with Trump's full awareness by the people who were working on Mark Meadow's memoir.   That's why Trump says things like "this is off the record."  So it is entirely possible that someone who made those tapes still had a copy, and they're the ones who gave it to CNN.

[mystery-ak]

Here’s Why Jack Smith Leaked Audio of Trump Talking to CNN – It’s the Opposite of CNN’s Claimed Pearl Clutching…
June 27, 2023 | Sundance

This stuff is really so silly, and lawfare is so entirely predictable, it is difficult for me to remain serious when discussing it.  This is also why serious litigation expert Eric Dublier was so funny in his Concord case briefings against the DOJ and their insufferable Lawfare efforts.

CNN gets a leak of audio from Special Prosecutor Jack Smith, presumably presenting audio of President Trump talking in Bedminster, New Jersey, about the background of Joint Chiefs Chairman Mark Milley lying about Trump wanting to invade Iran. Essentially, Trump refutes Milley and has papers to back up his side of the story.

CNN claims this audio will be the “Central Focus” of the case against President Trump that eventually “all jurors in the case will hear.” At this point, my laughter is almost unbearable for a multitude of reasons.  Remember, this is a Lawfare operation, which is constructed for one primary purpose, influencing the public.

Putting aside the fact that CNN, and the entire media apparatus already reporting on this nonsense before and putting aside the ridiculous nature of the top-line claims, the audio proves nothing.  It is the sound of President Trump talking about presidential papers that are claimed by the DOJ to be “classified” or “secret.”  Except, beyond the absurdity, there’s a problem that explains why Jack Smith gave CNN the audio.

Despite the grand pontifications and breathless pearl-clutching by the CNN narrative engineers, the audio will NEVER be used at trial – if there is even a trial – which is highly unlikely, because it cannot be admitted into evidence. That’s why Jack Smith gave it to them.  The audio is useless, except for the value in promoting the lawfare narrative engineering effort.

Why?  Because the documents that are claimed to be heard in the audio are nowhere to be found.  That’s right, the DOJ and FBI never found any “classified” or “super-secret” documents as described in the audio.  As a result, the audio represents nothing, a literal nothingburger, because without the documents the audio is inadmissible.

more
https://theconservativetreehouse.com/blog/2023/06/27/heres-why-jack-smith-leaked-audio-of-trump-talking-to-cnn-its-the-opposite-of-cnns-claimed-pearl-clutching/

[Maj. Bill Martin]

Whether it was the plans themselves, or an executive summary of the plans, if the document he was rustling through was classified, and he showed it to someone who did not have the appropriate classification, then he stepped in doo-doo big time.

Yup.  When I listened, it sounded to me like he was actually showing the documents to the interviewer to convince them that the document in question was authored by DoD.   That's just speculation, but one thing that is certain is that the DOJ already has taken sworn testimony from whomever that person is to confirm whether or not they actually had an opportunity to read any portion of the document in question.  So while we're left guessing as to exactly what was shown, the DOJ has that actual evidence - and at least one witness.  That's the kind of stuff that will come out eventually.

It's also the kind of evidence that may hurt Trump with the public.  Because if there is some journalist who testifies "yup, Trump showed me that top-secret document and I read some part of it", it's going to be really tough to come up with a good excuse for that.  Especially when people start digging into the interviewer's past, point out the lack of security clearance, etc..  If that is what actually happened, than that was extraordinarily irresponsible on Trump's part.

[corbe]

   I gave Sundance the benefit of the doubt when I thought she was a Woman.  Now, not so much as I've learned the truth over at ConservativeTrumpHouse.

[Maj. Bill Martin]

Here’s Why Jack Smith Leaked Audio of Trump Talking to CNN – It’s the Opposite of CNN’s Claimed Pearl Clutching…
June 27, 2023 | Sundance

This stuff is really so silly, and lawfare is so entirely predictable, it is difficult for me to remain serious when discussing it.  This is also why serious litigation expert Eric Dublier was so funny in his Concord case briefings against the DOJ and their insufferable Lawfare efforts.

CNN gets a leak of audio from Special Prosecutor Jack Smith, presumably presenting audio of President Trump talking in Bedminster, New Jersey, about the background of Joint Chiefs Chairman Mark Milley lying about Trump wanting to invade Iran. Essentially, Trump refutes Milley and has papers to back up his side of the story.

CNN claims this audio will be the “Central Focus” of the case against President Trump that eventually “all jurors in the case will hear.” At this point, my laughter is almost unbearable for a multitude of reasons.  Remember, this is a Lawfare operation, which is constructed for one primary purpose, influencing the public.

Putting aside the fact that CNN, and the entire media apparatus already reporting on this nonsense before and putting aside the ridiculous nature of the top-line claims, the audio proves nothing.  It is the sound of President Trump talking about presidential papers that are claimed by the DOJ to be “classified” or “secret.”  Except, beyond the absurdity, there’s a problem that explains why Jack Smith gave CNN the audio.

Despite the grand pontifications and breathless pearl-clutching by the CNN narrative engineers, the audio will NEVER be used at trial – if there is even a trial – which is highly unlikely, because it cannot be admitted into evidence. That’s why Jack Smith gave it to them.  The audio is useless, except for the value in promoting the lawfare narrative engineering effort.

Why?  Because the documents that are claimed to be heard in the audio are nowhere to be found.  That’s right, the DOJ and FBI never found any “classified” or “super-secret” documents as described in the audio.  As a result, the audio represents nothing, a literal nothingburger, because without the documents the audio is inadmissible.

more
https://theconservativetreehouse.com/blog/2023/06/27/heres-why-jack-smith-leaked-audio-of-trump-talking-to-cnn-its-the-opposite-of-cnns-claimed-pearl-clutching/

From the article:

You cannot submit evidence in court of a person talking about documents without the documents the audio is supposedly talking about.

That is just wrong as a general rule.  I've seen people testify in court about missing documents many, many times.  Especially since the person to whom Trump showed that document is almost certain to be called as a witness themselves.  If the document is not found, the prosecution claim will be that Trump either hid it successfully (which apparently is another part of the case), or destroyed it.  The statement also likely comes in if Trump claims that every document he took with him was automatically declassified, because the tape does demonstrate Trump's own belief that, whatever the document was, he believed it to still be classified.  That directly undermines the "automatic declassification" argument.

Whether that is enough to get a conviction - or even to send that particular charge to the jury - is a separate issue.  But it is almost certainly admissible.

[roamer_1]

Context required.

[Kamaji]

From the article:

That is just wrong as a general rule.  I've seen people testify in court about missing documents many, many times.  Especially since the person to whom Trump showed that document is almost certain to be called as a witness themselves.  If the document is not found, the prosecution claim will be that Trump either hid it successfully (which apparently is another part of the case), or destroyed it.  The statement also likely comes in if Trump claims that every document he took with him was automatically declassified, because the tape does demonstrate Trump's own belief that, whatever the document was, he believed it to still be classified.  That directly undermines the "automatic declassification" argument.

Whether that is enough to get a conviction - or even to send that particular charge to the jury - is a separate issue.  But it is almost certainly admissible.

Exactly.

Statement against interest comes to mind, and it can come in as both evidence that the documents were in fact present - the statements are circumstantial evidence that Trump was in fact dealing with the type of documents he claims in his statement - and as evidence that Trump disclosed those documents to a person without appropriate security clearance.