Now, however, we have perhaps the most important example of a similar phenomenon.
On Wednesday morning, I was listening to an audio recording of Trump discussing a classified document in 2021 at his Bedminster, NJ, golf club. As I did so, I noticed what Trump specifically said.
Here’s how I transcribed the piece, during which Trump appears to be trying to figure out if he can share the document with the writer he’s talking to.
TRUMP: Maybe we can… right?
Waiter: I don’t know. We have to see. Yes. We should try to find out-
TRUMP: Sort of. See, I could have classified that as the president. Now I can’t, you know. But it is classified.
Waiter: (laughs) Yeah, now we have a problem.
TRUMP: Isn’t that interesting?
“But it’s classified” doesn’t match existing transcripts. I am Tweeted I listened, along with the audio snippet.
I was listening to the tape again for a story and realized that the section in red below – muddled by cross-talk – was often not included in the transcripts. pic.twitter.com/rVa5aPYL08
— Philip Bump (@pbump) June 28, 2023
The conversation was also summarized in a federal indictment made public earlier this month. However, the government transcript uses different language.
TRUMP: Look at the president, I might have classified it.
Waiter: Yes. [Laughter]
TRUMP: Now I can’t, you know, but it’s still a secret.
Waiter: Yes. [Laughter] Now we have a problem.
TRUMP: Isn’t that interesting?
This is an important distinction. If Trump says “it’s still a secret,” he has some wiggle room in denying that he’s showing his audience a document legally protected under classification rules. If he says, “It’s classified,” that goes out the window. Trump, at the time, admitted he had something classified in his hand — and showed it to people.
Maybe I misheard the audio; Maybe Trump said “Yanny.” Some of the people who responded to my tweet heard it was written by Trump lawyers.
Or, perhaps, the record is more damaging to Trump than it first appears.
