CNN Releases Tape of Trump Appearing To Discuss Secret Docs

Improve the News Foundation -

Facts

  • US news broadcaster CNN has released what it alleges to be former Pres. Donald Trump audibly discussing and showing members of a meeting classified documents at his Bedminster golf club and estate in July 2021.1
  • During the audio recording, paper seems to be heard shuffling as Trump appears to discuss "highly confidential" documents. The released clip is approximately two minutes of what sources have told CBS News was a two-hour conversation. The tape was discovered in May but just recently became public.2
  • The audio also features a supposed aide stating that former Sec. of State and Democratic presidential nominee Hillary Clinton would "print out" classified information "all the time," with Trump appearing to comment that she would rather send documents to disgraced former Democrat Rep. Anthony Weiner.3
  • According to the audio, Trump seems to discuss a military document concerning the then-chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, Mark Milley, and apparent plans to attack Iran before appearing to admit that the documents weren't declassified but regardless, "classic," "interesting," and "cool."4
  • Trump has previously pleaded not guilty to 37 counts related to mishandling classified documents at his Mar-a-Lago resort in Florida. Last week on Fox News, Trump claimed that he had held "nothing to declassify" in his possession but rather only newspaper stories and articles.5
  • In response to the leaked audio, a spokesperson for Trump's campaign called the tape "bait" for "Trump-haters" as "President Trump did nothing wrong at all."6

Sources: 1Independent, 2CBS, 3Sky News, 4Al Jazeera, 5Yahoo Sports, and 6Newsweek.

Narratives

  • Anti-Trump narrative, as provided by Guardian. As this tape adds to the legal scrutiny around Trump, it's integral that he not win re-election. If he does, the US will see the DOJ transformed into a vendetta machine purposed toward revenge. With public trust in institutions already at an all-time low, the Justice Department's neutrality and safety must be protected from the danger of Trump's rhetoric and efforts to turn partisan criminal justice into a reality.
  • Pro-Trump narrative, as provided by The Last Refuge. The leaked audio by CNN is merely a political exercise to influence the public. As the documents from the audio released by the CNN narrative engineers are inconsistent with the documents stated to have been found by the DOJ and FBI, the recording will never be used in court. Being of no legal value, the audio has merely been leaked to once again generate a public narrative that appeases the left's ideology.

Predictions