CNN Obtains Audio Of Trump Discussing Sensitive Military Document

CNN obtained audio of former President Donald Trump discussing sensitive military documents he took with him after leaving the White House.

In the two-minute audio clip , Trump can be heard describing a document compiled by Gen. Mark Milley, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff when Trump was president, on the potential attacks against Iran. The discussion of the file was recorded during a 2021 meeting in Bedminster, New Jersey, with people working on the memoir of Trumps former chief of staff Mark Meadows.

He said that I wanted to attack Iran. Isnt it amazing? Trump says of Milley in the audio clip, accompanied by what sounds like shuffling of papers. 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.

All sorts of stuff, pages long. Lets see here, the former president continues. Isnt that amazing. This totally wins my case, you know, except that it is like highly confidential, secret, this is secret information.

Trump went on to say the papers he was showing his guest were classified.

See, as president I could have declassified it, Trump said in the clip. Now I cant, you know, but this is still a secret.

Wow CNN got the tape of Trumps conversation about classified documents pic.twitter.com/0NVQYAEkor

Acyn (@Acyn) June 27, 2023","type":"rich","meta":{"author":"Acyn","author_url":"https://twitter.com/Acyn","cache_age":86400,"description":"Wow CNN got the tape of Trumps conversation about classified documents pic.twitter.com/0NVQYAEkor Acyn (@Acyn) June 27, 2023\n\n","options":{"_hide_media":{"label":"Hide photos, videos, and cards","value":false},"_maxwidth":{"label":"Adjust width","placeholder":"220-550, in px","value":""},"_theme":{"value":"","values":{"dark":"Use dark theme"}}},"provider_name":"Twitter","thumbnail_height":720,"thumbnail_url":"https://pbs.twimg.com/ext_tw_video_thumb/1673487812321062913/pu/img/fuB5a1IdU56FnyFA.jpg:large","thumbnail_width":1280,"title":"Acyn on Twitter","type":"rich","url":"https://twitter.com/Acyn/status/1673487904465616896","version":"1.0"},"flags":[],"enhancements":{},"fullBleed":false,"options":{"theme":"news","device":"mobile","editionInfo":{"id":"us","name":"U.S.","link":"https://action.news","locale":"en_US"},"originalEdition":"us","isMapi":false,"isAmp":false,"isVideoEntry":false,"isEntry":true,"isMt":false,"entryId":"649a1d19e4b09fcde59d6d54","entryPermalink":"https://action.news/entry/trump-audio-cnn-sensitive-military-documents_n_649a1d19e4b09fcde59d6d54","entryTagsList":"donald-trump,cnn,classified-documents,audio-recordings,@us_huffpost_now","sectionSlug":"politics","deptSlug":"politics-news","sectionRedirectUrl":null,"subcategories":"us-news,media","isWide":false,"headerOverride":null,"noVideoAds":false,"disableFloat":false,"isNative":false,"commercialVideo":{"provider":"custom","site_and_category":"us.politics","package":null},"isHighline":false,"vidibleConfigValues":{"cid":"60afc111dcf87c2cd2f5d8bf","overrides":{"front_page_top_videos":{"desktop":"60b64354b171b7444beaff4d","mobileweb":"60b64354b171b7444beaff4d"},"top_media":{"desktop":"60b8e6bdc5449357a7ada147","mobile":"60b8e701c5449357a7ada2ee","iphone":"60b8e643cdd90620331bb1f6","ipad":"60b8e643cdd90620331bb1f6","androidphone":"60b8e699c5449357a7ada04c","androidtablet":"60b8e699c5449357a7ada04c"},"anthology":{"desktop":"60b8e616cdd90620331bb0ba","mobile":"60b8e671c5449357a7ad9f66","iphone":"60b8e643cdd90620331bb1f6","ipad":"60b8e643cdd90620331bb1f6","androidphone":"60b8e699c5449357a7ada04c","androidtablet":"60b8e699c5449357a7ada04c"},"content":{"desktop":"60b8e616cdd90620331bb0ba","mobile":"60b8e671c5449357a7ad9f66","iphone":"60b8e643cdd90620331bb1f6","ipad":"60b8e643cdd90620331bb1f6","androidphone":"60b8e699c5449357a7ada04c","androidtablet":"60b8e699c5449357a7ada04c"}},"playerUpdates":{"5668ae6ee4b0b5e26955d6a6":"60d2472d9340d7032ad7e443","56aa41bae4b091744c0440d8":"60e869dc7c5f3b17b6741b81","5841b2b5cc52c716ec6e5a7f":"60b8e355cdd90620331ba185","58b5e2b8d85a10302feee895":"60b64316b171b7444beafdb2","58b74698f78ced31417819ae":"60b8e5bec5449357a7ad9b52","58b74ccecebcea57e2c3a3d1":"60b8e5eac5449357a7ad9ca5","58cff690d85a100b9992bc39":"60b8e616cdd90620331bb0ba","58cffb3fb6d9b972a49a3c9d":"60b8e643cdd90620331bb1f6","58cffdd74d96935d7d6ec180":"60b8e671c5449357a7ad9f66","58d03a84f78ced6518eb2fa7":"60b643c82e76be41f112735c","592edf20e0fa177b0c26f7fd":"60b8e699c5449357a7ada04c","5b35266b158f855373e28256":"60b64354b171b7444beaff4d","5c116f29f79c4171d82b7c2a":"60b64440b171b7444beb040b","5c1170fc600c9a697bf0c6b9":"60b646102e76be41f1127ffc","5c47791afa1b317df8ae0c4f":"60b8e6bdc5449357a7ada147","5c477987a6b48b35f164773d":"60b8e701c5449357a7ada2ee","5c4779ee943c3c2a64f28371":"60b8e747cdd90620331bb861","5c477a26fcd67b26879bc7c2":"60b8e788c5449357a7ada67b","5d8921a78c3ae845f366c9b6":"60ae7be5f3a7c13a30417ff9","58b98b00ba82aa39a6534321":"60d0de7c9340d7032ad1146c","58b9d14cb6d9b96c9ec32af3":"60d0dec19340d7032ad115a0","58cff8eccebcea42931e0436":"60d0e005b627221e9d819d44","592edf5de0fa177b0c26f95b":"60d0e38fb627221e9d81adcf","58cff72fd85a100b9992c112":"60d0e447b627221e9d81b0da","56b4d34fe4b022697697c400":"60d2472d9340d7032ad7e443","60b8e4c0c5449357a7ad957d":"60e869dc7c5f3b17b6741b81"}},"connatixConfigValues":{"defaultPlayer":"ff7fdddc-5441-4253-abc4-f12a33fad58b","clickToPlayPlayer":"d014396e-b366-4c17-aeac-3ce906fa3fd0","videoPagePlayer":"f010447b-d244-4111-a314-7b4542ae4145","verticalPlayer":"e58cb05a-0bc8-4210-9108-fea82726c065","stickyPlayerControl":"52ea1755-d601-4ad1-bccc-d8cce3f0e5da","stickyPlayerON":"8055e9e5-3bda-4933-8d45-9ad814fb6e22"},"topConnatixThumnbailSrc":"https://img.connatix.com/e160a2b7-0c1d-42a1-908f-85b3bcb52d6c/1_th.jpg?crop=480:270,smart&width=480&height=270&format=jpeg&quality=60&fit=crop","customAmpComponents":[],"ampAssetsUrl":"https://amp.assets.huffpost.com","videoTraits":null,"positionInUnitCounts":{"buzz_head":{"count":0},"buzz_body":{"count":0},"buzz_bottom":{"count":0}},"positionInSubUnitCounts":{"article_body":{"count":7},"blog_summary":{"count":0},"before_you_go_content":{"count":0}},"connatixCountsHelper":{"count":1},"buzzfeedTracking":{"context_page_id":"649a1d19e4b09fcde59d6d54","context_page_type":"buzz","destination":"huffpost","mode":"mobile","page_edition":"en-us"},"tags":[{"name":"Donald Trump","slug":"donald-trump","links":{"relativeLink":"topic/donald-trump","permalink":"https://action.news/topic/donald-trump","mobileWebLink":"https://action.news/topic/donald-trump"},"department":{"name":"Latest News","slug":"politics-news"},"section":{"title":"Politics","slug":"politics"},"topic":{"title":"Donald Trump","slug":"donald-trump","overridesSectionLabel":false},"url":"https://action.news/news/topic/donald-trump"},{"name":"CNN","slug":"cnn","links":{"relativeLink":"topic/cnn","permalink":"https://action.news/topic/cnn","mobileWebLink":"https://action.news/topic/cnn"},"department":{"name":"Latest News","slug":"politics-news"},"section":{"title":"Media","slug":"media"},"topic":{"title":"CNN","slug":"cnn","overridesSectionLabel":false},"url":"https://action.news/news/topic/cnn"},{"name":"classified documents","slug":"classified-documents","links":{"relativeLink":"topic/classified-documents","permalink":"https://action.news/topic/classified-documents","mobileWebLink":"https://action.news/topic/classified-documents"},"url":"https://action.news/topic/classified-documents"},{"name":"audio recordings","slug":"audio-recordings","links":{"relativeLink":"topic/audio-recordings","permalink":"https://action.news/topic/audio-recordings","mobileWebLink":"https://action.news/topic/audio-recordings"},"url":"https://action.news/topic/audio-recordings"}],"isLiveblogLive":null,"isLiveblog":false,"cetUnit":"buzz_body","bodyAds":["

\r\n\r\n","

\r\n\r\n"],"adCount":0},"isCollectionEmbed":false}">

Wow CNN got the tape of Trumps conversation about classified documents pic.twitter.com/0NVQYAEkor
Acyn (@Acyn) June 27, 2023

Trump also joked with several people in the room after his aides laughed about former Secretary of State Hillary Clintons email server, saying she would print that out all the time.

No, Trump added, shed send it to Anthony Weiner, the pervert, referring to the former Democratic congressman who resigned after it was revealed he sent explicit messages.

The recording is reportedly a key piece of evidence in special counsel Jack Smiths case into Trumps handling of classified files after his presidency.

Trump responded to the clip later Monday, slamming Smith and saying the audio was 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, Trump wrote on his Truth Social platform. This continuing Witch Hunt is another ELECTION INTERFERENCE Scam. They are cheaters and thugs!

Federal prosecutors indicted Trump on 37 criminal counts this month, accusing the former president of repeatedly risking national security and undermining the governments efforts to see the return of boxes of documents from his Mar-a-Lago club in Florida. The indictment cites the conversation obtained by CNN.

Trump has rejected the claims and pleaded not guilty to all counts . He has said he had the absolute right to take anything he wanted when he left the White House under the Presidential Records Act and that he had a standing order to declassify anything removed from the Oval Office during his presidency.

Prosecutors, however, appear to have homed in on Trumps own words during their investigation. The indictment lays out at least two conversations including the one in the CNN file in which he acknowledged material in his possession was still classified.

Your Support Has Never Been More Critical

Other news outlets have retreated behind paywalls. At HuffPost, we believe journalism should be free for everyone.

Would you help us provide essential information to our readers during this critical time? We can't do it without you.

Can't afford to contribute? Support HuffPost by creating a free account and log in while you read.

You've supported HuffPost before, and we'll be honest we could use your help again . We view our mission to provide free, fair news as critically important in this crucial moment, and we can't do it without you.

Whether you give once or many more times, we appreciate your contribution to keeping our journalism free for all.

Whether you give just one more time or sign up again to contribute regularly, we appreciate you playing a part in keeping our journalism free for all.

Support HuffPost

U.S. District Judge Aileen Cannon, who is overseeing the case, set an initial trial date of Aug. 14. The Justice Department has asked for a postponement until December, a timeline that would give Trumps attorneys time to obtain security clearances necessary to review the hoard of classified files referenced in the indictment.

CORRECTION: This article initially stated the audio came from an interview conducted for Gen. Mark Milleys memoir; it was for the memoir of Mark Meadows, according to CNN.