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.
Create an account with the same email registered to your subscription to unlock access.
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.
-
'New arrivals are more than paying for themselves'
Instant Opinion Opinion, comment and editorials of the day
By Harold Maass, The Week US Published
-
6 stylish homes in Portland, Oregon
Feature Featuring a wall of windows in Collins View and a historic ballroom in Portland Heights
By The Week US Published
-
What's next for US interest rates?
The Explainer Stubborn inflation forestalls anticipated rate cuts
By Becca Stanek, The Week US Published
-
'New arrivals are more than paying for themselves'
Instant Opinion Opinion, comment and editorials of the day
By Harold Maass, The Week US Published
-
The Don's enablers
Opinion Even Republicans who know better won't get in Trump's way
By William Falk Published
-
'Climate studies are increasingly becoming politicized'
Instant Opinion Opinion, comment and editorials of the day
By Harold Maass, The Week US Published
-
What would it be like in jail for Trump if he's convicted?
Today's Big Question The Secret Service has begun grappling with how to protect a former president behind bars
By Rafi Schwartz, The Week US Published
-
'A financial windfall for Iranian terrorism'
Instant Opinion Opinion, comment and editorials of the day
By Harold Maass, The Week US Published
-
'Box Trump in for real if he pulls another stunt. Put him behind bars.'
Instant Opinion Opinion, comment and editorials of the day
By Harold Maass, The Week US Published
-
'Can we — the people who have bought so much already — really keep buying more?'
Instant Opinion Opinion, comment and editorials of the day
By Harold Maass, The Week US Published
-
'Presidential debates are more performance art than actual ways to inform'
Instant Opinion Opinion, comment and editorials of the day
By Harold Maass, The Week US Published