This article is from the source 'bbc' and was first published or seen on . It last changed over 40 days ago and won't be checked again for changes.

You can find the current article at its original source at https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-66027036

The article has changed 7 times. There is an RSS feed of changes available.

Version 0 Version 1
Trump heard on CNN tape discussing secret documents Trump heard on tape discussing 'highly confidential, secret' documents
(about 7 hours later)
Listen: Trump discusses secret documents in an audio recording first obtained by CNN
Listen: Trump discusses secret documents in an audio recording first obtained by CNN
An audio recording in which Donald Trump appears to acknowledge keeping a classified document after leaving the White House has been obtained by US media.An audio recording in which Donald Trump appears to acknowledge keeping a classified document after leaving the White House has been obtained by US media.
In the recording, the former president is heard riffling through papers and saying: "This is highly confidential". In the recording, the former president is heard riffling through papers and saying: "This is highly confidential."
It has not been independently verified by the BBC. It was first obtained by CNN, but the BBC's US partner CBS also has the clip.
Mr Trump has pleaded not guilty to federal charges of mishandling sensitive files. Mr Trump has pleaded not guilty to federal charges of mishandling sensitive documents.
CNN was the first to publish the roughly two-minute clip, and said it comes from a July 2021 interview that Mr Trump gave with people working on the memoir of his former chief of staff Mark Meadows. CNN was the first to publish the roughly two-minute recording, which it said came from a July 2021 meeting at Mr Trump's Bedminster, New Jersey golf club between him and several people working on the memoir of his former chief of staff Mark Meadows.
Mr Trump is heard saying "these are the papers" and referring to a document he calls "highly confidential".Mr Trump is heard saying "these are the papers" and referring to a document he calls "highly confidential".
It appears to be an audio recording referenced by federal prosecutors in their indictment of the former president. "This was done by the military and given to me," he says. "See as president I could have declassified it. Now I can't, you know, but this is still a secret."
It appears to be the same audio recording cited by federal prosecutors in their indictment of Mr Trump.
It is not clear from the indictment, however, if the documents referenced in the recording were ever recovered by investigators.
Donald Trump took US nuclear secrets, charges sayDonald Trump took US nuclear secrets, charges say
Prosecutors allege he showed classified documents to people without security clearance on two occasions, including a writer and two members of staff, in one instance in July 2021 at his golf club in New Jersey. Could he go to prison over secret files?
How Republican voters reacted to the indictment
Prosecutors allege the former president showed classified documents to people without security clearance on two occasions, including a writer and two members of staff.
Mr Trump is facing 37 counts of illegally retaining classified documents and obstructing the government's efforts to get them back.Mr Trump is facing 37 counts of illegally retaining classified documents and obstructing the government's efforts to get them back.
He has denied any wrongdoing and has said that all documents he took with him from the White House were declassified. He has repeatedly denied wrongdoing.
During the exchange, released by CNN and the Washington Post on Monday, Mr Trump is heard describing a document that he alleges is about possibly attacking Iran. He has said all the documents he took with him from the White House were declassified, but the published audio recording appears to contradict this.
"He said that I wanted to attack Iran. Isn't it amazing?" Mr Trump says near the beginning of the clip. Files were allegedly stored in a ballroom at Donald Trump's Florida property Mar-a-Lago
"I have a big pile of papers, this thing just came up. Look," he says. In an interview last week with Fox News, the former president denied that he showed secret documents to people unauthorised to view them in the Bedminster meeting.
"See as president I could have declassified it," he says. "Now I can't, you know, but this is still a secret." "There was no document. That was a massive amount of papers and everything else talking about Iran and other things," Mr Trump said, adding that he was presenting "newspaper stories, magazine stories and articles".
In an interview last week with Fox News, Mr Trump denied that he provided secret documents to people unauthorised to view them. The recording, however, appears to suggest that Mr Trump was referencing specific files.
"There was no document. That was a massive amount of papers and everything else talking about Iran and other things," Mr Trump said. He was indicted alongside an aide, Walt Nauta, who is expected to plead not guilty at a hearing on Tuesday.
The former president's trial is scheduled for 14 August but that is likely to be delayed. A judge is yet to rule on a motion from prosecutors seeking to delay it until 11 December.
Related TopicsRelated Topics
Donald TrumpDonald Trump
United StatesUnited States