According to recently leaked audio recordings published by 60 Minutes Australia, it appears that former President Donald Trump may have been more forthcoming with sensitive state secrets than previously acknowledged. The segment featured Australian billionaire Anthony Pratt, who recounted his personal experiences and interactions with the ex-president, shedding light on an earlier report by ABC News that highlighted Trump’s casual discussion of classified information concerning nuclear submarines.
The New York Times further delved into the leaked audio, revealing that the private remarks, recorded during Trump’s presidency, offer a unique insight into how a businessman like Pratt perceived Trump’s methods, acknowledging both the directness of his approach and a certain level of admiration for someone willing to push the boundaries of presidential norms.
Among the revelations in the recordings, Pratt recalled an instance in December 2019 when Trump shared purported details of a conversation he had with Iraq’s leader following a U.S. military strike targeting Iranian-backed forces. Subsequently, an American drone strike in Baghdad resulted in the death of Iran’s top security and intelligence commander.
Notably, Pratt claimed that Trump casually recounted his controversial phone call with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, which played a pivotal role in Trump’s initial impeachment. According to Pratt’s account, Trump seemingly downplayed the significance of the call, stating, “That was nothing compared to what I usually do.”
The Times also highlighted Pratt’s characterization of Trump’s business practices as reminiscent of “the mafia” during confidential conversations. Moreover, the report alleged that Trump had requested his wife, Melania Trump, to parade around the pool at Mar-a-Lago in a bikini so that other attendees could admire her, an assertion that has not been independently confirmed.
It remains unclear whether Pratt disclosed these revelations to legal authorities or if the prosecutors are aware of the existence of the recordings. These leaked recordings have further ignited public interest in understanding the dynamics and inner workings of the Trump presidency during his tenure in the White House.
The private comments, captured while Mr. Trump was still president, provide a rare glimpse into how a businessman on the other side of Mr. Trump’s transactions actually viewed the New York real estate developer’s tactics — with a mix of blunt acknowledgment and admiration for someone so willing to test the boundaries of the presidency.
On the recordings, Mr. Pratt recounts how Mr. Trump shared with him in December 2019 what he describes as elements of a conversation the president had with Iraq’s leader right after a U.S. military strike there aimed at Iranian-backed forces. Days later, a U.S. drone strike in Baghdad would kill Iran’s top security and intelligence commander.
At one point, Mr. Pratt said, Mr. Trump discussed the phone call he had with President Volodymyr Zelensky of Ukraine earlier that year that had helped lead to Mr. Trump’s first impeachment. “That was nothing compared to what I usually do,” Mr. Trump said, in Mr. Pratt’s recounting.
It is not clear whether Mr. Pratt shared these accounts with prosecutors or whether prosecutors are aware of the recordings.
“Behind closed doors, however, Mr. Pratt described Mr. Trump’s business practices as being “like the mafia,” the NY Times report, as well as the allegation that Trump asked his wife, then First Lady. Melania Trump, to parade around the pool at Mar-a-Lago in a bikini “so all the other guys could get a look at what they were missing.”
Further, Pratt claimed Trump was extremely candid in his assessment of his infamous phone call with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky — which the former president has publicly described as “perfect”
From the Times:
At one point, Mr. Pratt said, Mr. Trump discussed the phone call he had with President Volodymyr Zelensky of Ukraine earlier that year that had helped lead to Mr. Trump’s first impeachment. “That was nothing compared to what I usually do,” Mr. Trump said, in Mr. Pratt’s recounting.
