Staff Reports
In a typical denial fashion, former President Donald Trump is adamantly denying recent reports that he leaked sensitive information to Australian businessman Anthony Pratt. Pratt, who claims to have insider knowledge of Trump’s penchant for disclosing secret information about U.S. submarines and relations with Iraq and Ukraine, has piqued the interest of special counsel Jack Smith, who is currently investigating classified documents found at the ex-president’s Mar-a-Lago estate.
A recent story from The New York Times presents newly obtained audio recordings of Pratt discussing his alleged conversations with Trump. According to the recordings, Trump not only divulged information about calls with Iraq’s leader but also touched on the infamous 2019 call with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, which ultimately led to Trump’s first impeachment.
Donald Trump is denying reports he leaked sensitive information to Australian businessman Anthony Pratt, a Mar-a-Lago member who claims the ex-president had a penchant for disclosing secret information about U.S. submarines and relations with Iraq and… https://t.co/Mwce99LaeD
— The Washington Times (@WashTimes) October 23, 2023
In true Trump fashion, the former president took to his social media platform Truth Social to dismiss the story as “Fake News.” “I never spoke to him about Submarines, but I did speak to him about creating jobs in Ohio and Pennsylvania, because that’s what I’m all about,” Trump asserted. He also claimed that reporters failed to reach out to him for comment, despite the fact that the Times article includes a statement from Trump acknowledging Pratt as a member of his esteemed Mar-a-Lago club and praising his business ventures in Ohio.
The audio recordings at the center of this latest story were obtained through a joint investigation by the Australian programs “60 Minutes,” The Sydney Morning Herald, and The Age, and were subsequently acquired by The New York Times. In the recordings, Pratt can be heard recounting Trump’s braggadocious statements about bombing Iraq and downplaying the significance of the infamous Ukraine phone call, insinuating that he routinely engages in such behavior.
Overall, this ongoing saga adds another layer of complexity to Trump’s already controversial presidency. With investigations still underway, it remains to be seen how this latest revelation will impact the former president and his legacy.
