On Monday, CNN obtained a copy of an audio recording likely to be admitted as evidence against Donald Trump at his upcoming federal trial, in which the former president admitted to doing virtually what he was accused of doing. The case is being prosecuted. And on MSNBC, Rachel Maddow was pretty dazed by the whole thing.
Joking that the clip showed a “cartoon level” of wrongdoing, Madow called it a “prosumer’s dream” as she watched the recording bit by bit.
To recap, Trump was indicted on 37 counts related to illegal possession of classified documents after leaving the White House and the extent to which he went to deceive government officials about it was reported by prosecutors. There were also recordings in support of the side. Case.
Specifically, Trump has claimed for nearly a year that he had the power to make public the documents he had in his possession even after leaving the White House (he didn’t), and that he could do so simply by thinking about it. (This is also untrue). But in the recording in question published by CNN on Monday, Trump, showing the classified documents to an aide who is not authorized to see them, acknowledged that he was no longer able to make them public, and also indicated that he knew Were that he ‘ believed that they should be occupied. read more here,
“That’s crazy, isn’t it?” Maddow said Monday night after playing the full 2-minute clip. “I mean, if you were to invent a cartoon level ‘you did it wrong’ charge for someone who mishandled classified information, you would consider it a fanciful dream to teach to 1L law students , Isn’t it? ‘Imagine there was a tape in which the accused said, now I should not show it to you. It’s really a mystery but look here it is.
Maddow continued, “Prosecutors dream of having something like this on tape.” “But all we could see in the indictment was prosecutors’ allegation that this tape existed, and that Trump said these things on this tape.”
“And, as an allegation, it is reprehensible. The special counsel alleges that Trump improperly withheld classified information. Here, allegedly, was a description of audio evidence of Trump appearing to admit that he had secret material, that it’s not unclassified, it’s classified material and yet he’s showing it to those people who aren’t really allowed to see it,” Madow added.
But now, he said, the recording — which he clarified has not yet been certified by NBC — essentially proves it. “If what CNN obtained is valid, it appears that this is the tape described in the indictment. The evidence that helped lay the groundwork for Special Counsel Jack Smith to indict Donald Trump.
Maddow played the full video, which includes Trump saying, among other things, “Look, as president I could have made this public, now I can’t tell you, but it’s still secret,” as His aide says “Now we have a problem.” And it ends with Trump saying, “That’s great. Can we have some Coke?”
After the clip ended, Maddow said, “Please get some Coke.” “It at least gives it an appearance of authenticity, doesn’t it?”
“It is one thing to read these words as part of an indictment. It’s another thing to hear it,” Maddow later said. Another important part of [the case] Proving against Trump is not only that Trump had these documents, but that he knew that as a former president he was no longer in authority to make them public. Correct? So, again, some part of it, a sort of alleged defense, or part of his defense effort, if he can even call it that, doesn’t even seem so consistent, it means to say, ‘Yeah, These things were classified, but I used my mind to declassify them. Here he is on tape admitting that he doesn’t have the power to make these things public.
Before the segment ended, Maddo re-enacted where Trump says, “It’s great,” then responds by saying, “It’s a lot of things. Not sure what was good in the top 6000. But This is definitely the kind of thing that seems like it should end up in a federal criminal prosecution. I’ll give you that,” she said.