Former United States President Donald Trump reportedly divulged potentially classified information about US nuclear submarines to Australian billionaire Anthony Pratt after his presidency.
What Happened: Anthony Pratt, a member of Trump’s Mar-a-Lago Club and CEO of Pratt Industries, is alleged to have received sensitive data on US nuclear submarines from Trump, as reported by ABC News.
The sources reveal that Pratt later shared this information with several individuals, including foreign officers and journalists. This alleged disclosure came to light during special counsel Jack Smith’s investigation into Trump’s supposed possession of classified documents at Mar-a-Lago.
Pratt supposedly initiated a conversation about the US submarine fleet with Trump in April 2021. In response, Trump is claimed to have shared two key pieces of information about the submarines – their typical nuclear warhead count and their ability to approach Russian submarines undetected. Pratt is said to have relayed Trump’s comments to at least 45 other individuals.
Investigators asked Pratt not to repeat the numbers Trump allegedly provided, hinting at their potential sensitivity. A former Trump employee at Mar-a-Lago, who heard Pratt share some of this information, expressed shock at Trump’s apparent disclosure of such sensitive information to a non-US citizen.
Pratt defended his action, stating he shared the meeting details to show his advocacy for Australia with the United States. This correlates with some Australian officials’ involvement in negotiations with the Biden administration for a deal to purchase nuclear-powered attack submarines from the US, a deal secured earlier this year.
Trump’s alleged conversation with Pratt was not included in his June indictment by special counsel Smith, which charged him with 40 counts of unlawful retention of national defense information and obstruction-related offenses.
Why It Matters: The recent developments could further complicate the investigation into Trump’s handling of classified information.
This allegation adds a new dimension to the ongoing investigation into Trump’s retention of classified documents at Mar-a-Lago. Earlier reports suggested that Trump took documents containing top-secret information on Iran and China to Mar-a-Lago.
The existence of a recording indicated that Trump retained classified material post-presidency. However, Trump denied the presence the presence of such documents in a Fox News interview.
Photo by Joseph Sohm on Shutterstock
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