Donald Trump ranted on his social media site overnight about the recently released recording of the former president in conversation about a classified document with biographers and staff.
"The Deranged Special Prosecutor, Jack Smith, working in conjunction with the DOJ & FBI, illegally leaked and 'spun' a tape and transcript of me which is actually an exoneration, rather than what they would have you believe," wrote Trump. "This continuing Witch Hunt is another ELECTION INTERFERENCE Scam. They are cheaters and thugs!"
An all-caps rant followed about six hours later: "COULD SOMEBODY PLEASE EXPLAIN TO THE DERANGED, TRUMP HATING JACK SMITH, HIS FAMILY, AND HIS FRIENDS, THAT AS PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES, I COME UNDER THE PRESIDENTIAL RECORDS ACT, AS AFFIRMED BY THE CLINTON SOCKS CASE, NOT BY THIS PSYCHOS’ FANTASY OF THE NEVER USED BEFORE ESPIONAGE ACT OF 1917. “SMITH” SHOULD BE LOOKING AT CROOKED JOE BIDDEN AND ALL OF THE CRIMES THAT HE HAS PERPETRATED ON THE AMERICAN PUBLIC, INCLUDING THE MILLIONS & MILLIONS OF DOLLARS HE EXTORTED FROM FOREIGN COUNTRIES!"
Trump has also been sharing comments from Fox host Mark Levin, who is demanding that Jack Smith be imprisoned for "leaking" the audio. He has concluded that "it's obvious" the information is coming from the government.
But according to one NBC News reporter, there's reason to think it came from someone else – possibly even from inside Trump's orbit.
"We know the special counsel's office pretty much exclusively speaks through their court documents," said NBC justice reporter Ryan Reilly. "There are a lot of hands on this audio. This was something probably widely available. When you go in for an interview, there's a press aide who puts a recorder on the table, the party doing the interview. There could be multiple recordings."
Host Andrea Mitchell suggested the Trump press aide could have been behind the release.
"Exactly," agreed Reilly. "The Trump campaign, a major theme going on is to try to accuse the special counsel's office of leaking things. That's a theme we have seen. They have been playing it by the book, frustratingly for reporters. There's a wide universe of people who this could have come from. I wouldn't put the justice department at the top."
Trump clarified in his statement that he thinks the tape is "actually an exoneration" more than it harms his case. If that was true, it wouldn't make sense for the prosecutors to release it. The two accusations can't both exist logically.
Lawyer and MSNBC analyst Tristan Snell asked Monday night who could have released it. "Was it the Trump team, trying to poison the jury pool? And trying to make the tape 'old news' now, rather than having shock value during the trial?"
The Justice Department team has had the tape for more than several months and could have leaked it at any time. The DOJ handed its evidence to Trump and his lawyers last week.
Former senior prosecutor on Robert Mueller's team, Andrew Weissmann, similarly explained that the "Trump comms staff had the tape, as well as likely the Meadows ghostwriters, all of whom could give the tape to anyone. (And of course, the US and the defense also have the tape.)"
Trump adviser Tom Fitton went so far as to say that the leaked tape means the prosecution should be immediately ended.
Trump likely intends to use the claim of a "leaked tape" to continue fundraising for his legal fund.
See the full conversation on MSNBC below or at the link here.
Who leaked the Trump tape? Probably not the DOJwww.youtube.com
