Former President Donald Trump on Monday evening blamed Special Counsel Jack Smith, along with the Justice Department and FBI, for “illegally” leaking and spinning audio and a transcript of him to CNN, and said it 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. This continuing Witch Hunt is another ELECTION INTERFERENCE Scam. They are cheaters and thugs!” he posted on Truth Social late Monday, after the audio aired on CNN’s Anderson Cooper 360.
In the audio, Trump is heard discussing how Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Gen. Mark Milley had accused him in an article of wanting to attack Iran, but that it was actually Milley who allegedly wanted to attack Iran. Trump appears to be holding papers and is heard saying, “[A]s president I could have declassified it. Now I can’t, you know, but this is still a secret.”
Prosecutors argue that his comments were an acknowledgement that Trump retained a classified document and knew it was still classified.
Meanwhile, Trump has argued he meant he could have gone public with it at that time when he was president but missed the opportunity. It is also not clear whether he meant a document was “still a secret” or the information that Milley allegedly wanted to attack Iran was “still a secret.” It is also not clear if Trump meant “secret” as in classified, or “secret” in that the public still did not know about it. Trump in the audio was also heard saying that the discussion was “off the record.”
A Trump campaign spokesman said in a statement that Trump was speaking “rhetorically.”
“The audio tape provides context proving, once again, that President Trump did nothing wrong at all. The President is speaking rhetorically and also quite humorously about a very perverted individual, Anthony Weiner, who was deep inside the corrupt Clinton campaign. The media and the Trump-haters once again were all too willing to take the bait, falling for another Democrat-DOJ hoax, hook, line, and sinker,” the spokesman said.
After Trump’s first post, he then re-posted a series of posts from Fox News show host and former senior DOJ official Mark Levin, who blasted Smith for leaking the audio.
“Jack Smith must go to prison for this,” he said. He quote-tweeted a comment that said: “Help me with this: DOJ is prosecuting Trump for sharing information with a reporter, when DOJ itself shared the same information with CNN.”
Trump also reposted a post by Levin where he said Trump’s lawyers “must start getting aggressive and filing motions to move the trial until after the election.”
In the post, Levin said his lawyers should file a motion to hold the DOJ in contempt for “failing to actively prevent the ongoing and endless leaks by the regime to the press, and this is just for starters.”
Trump also re-posted Levin pointing to the government for the leak of the audio, calling for the case to be dismissed due to prosecutorial misconduct and an effort to influence the jury pool.
“There must have been several scores of leaks against Trump involving testimony, documents, audio, etc., and they’re all obviously coming from the government. Trump’s lawyers need to file an immediate motion, with the long list of leaks as an exhibit, asking that the entire case be dismissed because of prosecutorial misconduct and the government’s effort to influence the jury pool. Moreover, I would insist that the court determine whether DOJ has opened investigations into these felonies. THIS NEEDS TO HAPPEN NOW!” Levin posted.
Trump also re-posted a lengthy screed by Levin where he said the leak was intended to deny the former president due process.
“This latest prosecutorial leak of an audio clip to CNN, is further intended to poison a jury pool and deny the former president due process, as he was denied attorney-client privilege and the usual administrative processes afforded former presidents when leaving office,” Levin said.
“To be clear, we know nothing about the context of the audio. Nothing. We are fed exactly two minutes via CNN, a favorite state-run media outlet. We know no more or no less than they tell us. And the multiple felonies committed by the regime in leaking the tape will be ignored. Felonies committed in pursuit of Trump are no longer felonies. The ‘justice system’ is dead. The Democrat Party owns the federal government,” Levin added.
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