“These are the papers,” Trump says in the audio recording obtained by the CNN news channel, as he discusses the Pentagon’s attack plans. He also refers to something he calls “highly confidential” and seems to show others.
“The tape also shows him distributing documents. And that aspect isn’t even in the indictment that we know by now.
“You can literally hear the newspapers rustling over that recording,” says Kenneth Manusama, a constitutional law major. “He says that the documents are classified and that he can no longer declassify them himself, while he could still do it as president. This doesn’t lie. He can’t get out of here anymore.’
Defense down
The former president’s defense, who previously said, among other things, that the papers were handed to him and then that he could have simply declassified them himself, is completely undermined by the recording, Manusama says. Furthermore, says the American expert, the tape also shows us that he is distributing the documents. “And that aspect is not even in the indictment that is now known”.
A transcript of the same conversation had previously leaked, but according to Manusama the audio recording has a stronger persuasive power. “A jury will hear this tape and so will voters. “Trump no longer has to deal with not knowing things when defending him.”
Support for gnawing
While the former president has already proven that he can get away with almost anything, the question is whether this will be any different. According to Manusama, the leak will lead to another dent. “She won’t lose her fans to it, but she still gnaws at his larger following.”