Trump says tape Biden's DOJ leaked to CNN is 'another election interference scam'

On Monday night, CNN released a two-minute audio clip of one of two conversations cited in the Biden Justice Department's indictment of former President Donald Trump. Trump took to Truth Social to slam "deranged" Special Counsel Jack Smith, stating that he, in conjunction with the Department of Justice and Federal Bureau of Investigation "illegally leaked and 'spun'" the tape.

"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," Trump wrote on Truth Social. "This continuing Witch Hunt is another ELECTION INTERFERENCE Scam. They are cheaters and thugs."





The indictment referenced two conversations the former president allegedly had in 2021 with two unknown individuals who are believed to have been researchers working with Trump's former Chief of Staff Mark Meadows on his autobiography and did not have the proper authorization to view the documents the former president is accused of illegally retaining.

The audio is referenced in a transcript of a conversation held at Trump’s Bedminster golf club on July 21, 2021. A voice alleged to be Trump’s can be heard saying, "Well with Milley – uh, let me see that, I'll show you an example," while papers can be heard rustling in the background. "He said that I wanted to attack Iran."

The voice continued, "Isn't it amazing? I have a big pile of papers, this thing just came up.”

He added, "Look. This was him. They presented me this—this is off the record, but—they presented me this. This was him. This was the defense department and him,” while papers can be heard being shuffled in the background.

"This totally wins my case you know… except it is highly confidential, secret – this is secret information."

One of the other people in the room joked, "Hillary would print that out all the time...her emails," to which Trump allegedly responded, "She'd send it, to Anthony Weiner... the pervert."

In the tape, the voice also states that he cannot declassify the documents because he is no longer the president, and another voice is heard saying, "Now we have a problem."

The indictment charges the former president with 31 counts of willful retention of national defense information, one count of conspiracy to obstruct justice, one count of withholding a document or record, one count of corruptly concealing a document or record, one count of concealing a document in a federal investigation, one count of scheme to conceal, and one count of false statements and representations.