Special counsel reportedly has 'important' tape of Trump discussing classified documents
Federal prosecutors working with special counsel Jack Smith have obtained an audio recording of former President Donald Trump acknowledging in July 2021 that he retained sensitive military documents after he left office and understood he could not declassify them, CNN reported Wednesday citing multiple sources. The existence and substance of the recording were confirmed by The New York Times and The Washington Post.
None of the news organizations had obtained or heard the recording, but sources told CNN it's an "important" piece of evidence in Smith's late-stage investigation of Trump's handling of national security secrets. Trump has publicly claimed he could automatically declassify material, including with his mind, and his lawyers have said Trump was unaware that top secret documents were swept up in boxes he brought with him from the White House to Mar-a-Lago in Florida. This tape undercuts all those rationalizations for the roughly 300 classified documents the feds have recovered from Mar-a-Lago, according to the reports.
The audio was recorded with Trump's knowledge at his Bedminster golf club in New Jersey and reportedly describes a multi-page document on military options for invading Iran that Trump laments he cannot show his guests due to classification restrictions. Trump evidently brought up the document — or possibly waved it in his hands — because he was irritated by a New Yorker report that Joint Chiefs Chairman Mark Milley had convinced Trump in his final days in office not to bomb Iran and potentially start a new war. Investigators have questioned Milley and other witnesses about the episode and Trump's anger toward Milley, CNN reported.
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
Smith is investigating whether Trump or his aides criminally obstructed federal efforts to retrieve classified documents Trump improperly kept when his term was over. The focus on the recording indicates he may also be considering other charges against Trump, CNN reports, and the tape provides crucial evidence about Trump's intent and state of mind. Nobody has yet been criminally charged in the investigation, and Trump lawyer James Trusty told CNN on Wednesday that Trump would have still had the authority to declassify documents when he was taking boxes from the White House to Mar-a-Lago.
Sign up for Today's Best Articles in your inbox
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
Peter has worked as a news and culture writer and editor at The Week since the site's launch in 2008. He covers politics, world affairs, religion and cultural currents. His journalism career began as a copy editor at a financial newswire and has included editorial positions at The New York Times Magazine, Facts on File, and Oregon State University.
-
6 charming homes for the whimsical
Feature Featuring a 1924 factory-turned-loft in San Francisco and a home with custom murals in Yucca Valley
By The Week Staff Published
-
Big tech's big pivot
Opinion How Silicon Valley's corporate titans learned to love Trump
By Theunis Bates Published
-
Stacy Horn's 6 favorite works that explore the spectrum of evil
Feature The author recommends works by Kazuo Ishiguro, Anthony Doerr, and more
By The Week US Published
-
Trump starts term with spate of executive orders
Speed Read The president is rolling back many of Joe Biden's climate and immigration policies
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
Trump pardons or commutes all charged Jan. 6 rioters
Speed Read The new president pardoned roughly 1,500 criminal defendants charged with crimes related to the Capitol riot
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
Trump declares 'golden age' at indoor inauguration
In the Spotlight Donald Trump has been inaugurated as the 47th president of the United States
By Justin Klawans, The Week US Published
-
'The death and destruction happening in Gaza still dominate our lives'
Instant Opinion Opinion, comment and editorials of the day
By Justin Klawans, The Week US Published
-
Will Trump's 'madman' strategy pay off?
Today's Big Question Incoming US president likes to seem unpredictable but, this time round, world leaders could be wise to his playbook
By Sorcha Bradley, The Week UK Published
-
Silicon Valley: bending the knee to Donald Trump
Talking Point Mark Zuckerberg's dismantling of fact-checking and moderating safeguards on Meta ushers in a 'new era of lies'
By The Week UK Published
-
Will auto safety be diminished in Trump's second administration?
Today's Big Question The president-elect has reportedly considered scrapping a mandatory crash-reporting rule
By Justin Klawans, The Week US Published
-
DeSantis appoints Florida's top lawyer to US Senate
Speed Read The state's attorney general, Ashley Moody, will replace Sen. Marco Rubio in the Senate
By Rafi Schwartz, The Week US Published