An Australian billionaire and member of Mar-a-Lago, Anthony Pratt, has reportedly revealed new recordings of conversations he had with then-President Donald Trump. The recordings shed light on Trump’s sharing of sensitive government material with foreign leaders, raising concerns about national security. The New York Times and 60 Minutes Australia obtained the tapes, which provide insights into Trump’s private calls with the leaders of Ukraine and Iraq.
Pratt, a key witness in Trump’s classified documents case, had given an interview to special counsel Jack Smith, who charged Trump with mishandling national security materials. The tapes further support the prosecution’s allegations of Trump’s careless handling of classified information at Mar-a-Lago.
In the recordings, Pratt discloses that Trump shared insider information about his phone calls with world leaders during his presidency. Notably, Pratt criticizes Trump’s personal ethics and states his concerns about the manner in which sensitive information is divulged.
Past reports have indicated that Trump discussed potentially sensitive information with Pratt regarding US nuclear submarines. However, the latest revelations expand on Pratt’s recounting of conversations to include foreign policy matters.
According to the recordings, Trump boasted to Pratt about bombing Iraq and recounted his call with Iraqi President Barham Salih in December 2019. Pratt quotes Trump as saying, The president of Iraq called me up and said, ‘You just leveled my city. … I said to him, ‘OK, what are you going to do about it?’
The tapes also provide insight into Trump’s infamous September 2019 call with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, during which Trump pressured Zelensky to initiate unfounded corruption probes into Joe Biden. Trump downplayed the call, stating to Pratt, That was nothing compared to what I usually do. That’s nothing compared to what we usually talk about.
While Trump did not deny the conversations described in the tapes, he emphasized that Pratt is from a friendly country and an ally. However, the lack of context in the tapes has been highlighted by a Trump spokesperson. CNN reached out to the Trump campaign and Pratt’s company, Visy, for further comments.
These latest disclosures could be crucial evidence for prosecutors, indicating a pattern of Trump sharing sensitive government information with unauthorized individuals, including political donors and well-connected businessmen. Nevertheless, it remains unclear whether these tapes were already in possession of the prosecutors.
The recordings also showcase Pratt’s candid opinions about Trump’s behavior, with comparisons made to the mafia. Pratt suggests that Trump carefully chooses his words to avoid legal consequences while coming dangerously close to breaking the law.
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