Bestie, get up, new Trump tape simply dropped!
Essentially the most surprising a part of the federal indictment in opposition to Donald Trump was the inclusion of a partial transcript of an audio recording during which the previous President blatantly says he’s holding a labeled doc after which displaying it to individuals. Not even for revenue, only for spite.
The indictment shares moments from the convo during which Trump says identifies a doc, calls it “secret info,” particularly notes that he didn’t declassify it whereas president, and tells these within the room, together with two writers engaged on a memoir and at the very least one aide, to have a look at it.
However studying items of a transcript isn’t listening to it. It isn’t the identical as listening to a person who needs to be president once more simply casually violating the espionage act. It’s what the jury will hear, and it frankly couldn’t be extra damning.
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Listening to the audio, first obtained by CNN, blows away Trump’s already lackluster protection that he was simply ruffling round newspapers and by no means had the precise doc there. Although we don’t have video, it’s unmistakable from the sounds that he’s in search of a particular doc, finds it, after which pauses for individuals to lean in and take care of saying, “Have a look at this.” And it isn’t some newspaper article, he says particularly what he’s displaying them is “secret info” and it’s an issue that he didn’t declassify. No matter protection they thought they may get away with after simply seeing the transcript, it’s mud. Pay attention for your self (beneath):
Clearly the massive present right here is the audio, and we extremely suggest listening should you can. However only a couple essential tidbits to recollect…
Trump is complaining that Common Mark Milley, then Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Employees, had characterised him as reckless or one thing — and his protection is that Milley was the one who wished the US to assault Iran. His proof? A possible Iran assault plan they’d drawn up.
Yep. That’s what he’s displaying a bunch of aides and writers. What he was maintaining at his golf membership in Bedminster, New Jersey. A high secret doc detailing how the US would assault Iran in the event that they needed to — the kind of nationwide protection doc that’s severely harmful for anybody exterior the navy high brass to see. Trump says:
“He mentioned that I wished to assault Iran, Isn’t it superb? I’ve a giant pile of papers, this factor simply got here up. Look. This was him. They introduced me this — that is off the file however — they introduced me this. This was him. This was the Protection Division and him.”
After some jabs at Hillary Clinton over her dealing with of delicate info — actually hilarious on this context — Trump explicitly says:
“These are the papers. This was carried out by the navy and given to me.”
Yeah. He’s not holding the NY Instances crossword when he says that. After which in fact there’s the notorious second he undercuts his different massive protection, that he’d already declassified every thing:
“See as president I may have declassified it. Now I can’t, you recognize, however that is nonetheless a secret.”
Superb. Simply superb. Once more, this isn’t the one piece of proof, removed from it. There’s additionally loads of witness testimony, all of the paperwork the FBI discovered once they have been finally compelled to raid Mar-a-Lago, there’s tons. However that is the cherry on high.
How did Trump reply to this audio? What’s his new protection? He posted on his Reality Social Monday night time:
“The Deranged Particular Prosecutor, Jack Smith, working along side the DOJ & FBI, illegally leaked and ‘spun’ a tape and transcript of me which is definitely an exoneration, reasonably than what they might have you ever imagine. This persevering with Witch Hunt is one other ELECTION INTERFERENCE Rip-off. They’re cheaters and thugs!”
We don’t know what he’s speaking about, how that tape may probably be seen as exculpatory. If solely he spoke as clearly and explicitly on social media as he does on leaked audio tapes…
[Image via ABC/YouTube.]
