Is that the altered recording?
RE: Is that the altered recording?
Has that been established as a fact?
Who said the recording was altered?
Trump, at his core, is a showman.
In conferring with the writers, hired to write his biography, he played up the importance of the information regarding General Milley’s plan to invade Iran.
He tried to underline the fact that it was Milley’s plan, even though others attempted to ascribe the plan’s origin to him. He stresses that the document was retained, precisely to underpin the fact that it was Milley urging war, not himself.
Without question, absent Trump’s retention of the document, it would have remained “Classified”. Hidden. His grandiose statement that it is still classified is likely true, or would be claimed true by the Pentagon.
The fact is, the President is the sole arbiter of what is or is not classified. He can declare something declassified by the simple thought in his head. There is no superseding authority in that regard. No overt declaration he needs to make. No process or procedure he must follow.
That he declares, by word, thought or action, that something is declassified, then, in that moment, it is declassified.
The mere fact that those documents are/were in his possession are prima facie evidence that he declassified them.
There is no avenue by which a case can be structured to claim otherwise.
No amount of bragging, on his part, about whether some piece of paper he holds is now, or was previously, classified changes the underlying facts.
If he has it in his possession, ipso facto, he declassified it.
Unless someone is making the case that he broke I to the Pentagon, sometime after Biden took office, and raided the Locker of Classified Documents.
Altered, or the full context of what he said wasn't provided in that snippet.
Here's what I mean:
If Legit President Trump was making an example of what would be considered still classified becuase he didn't declassify it, and some shall we say, very unscrupulous prosecutor or lamestream media member cut the beginning off and left only "now I can't, you know, but this is still a secret" there and is using that to charge or make media talking points, that's the problem right there.
I've never trusted the Government, lawyers or media, so I wouldn't put it past any of them to alter/take out of context what Trump said here.
Gee, it's not like they haven't done that before! < /s >