Related: The competition squaring up to Donald Trump
In a bombshell development in the classified documents case against Donald Trump, federal prosecutors have reportedly obtained an audio recording from a summer 2021 meeting in which the former president acknowledges he held onto a classified Pentagon document about a potential attack on Iran.
The recording indicates that Mr Trump knew the papers were retained after he left the White House and suggests he would like to share the information but is aware of limitations on his ability to declassify records post-presidency.
Justice Department special counsel Jack Smith, who is investigating the matter, is also looking at Mr Trump’s efforts to overturn his 2020 election loss.
In a new development, Mr Smith is examining the ex-president’s firing of cybersecurity official Christopher Krebs, whose office said the vote was secure, The New York Times reports. Mr Krebs was fired by Mr Trump shortly after the election.
Meanwhile, as more Republican contenders join the party’s primary race, Mr Trump has been busy ridiculing them with cruel memes and jokes on Truth Social, singling out Ron DeSantis and Chris Christie overnight. His former veep Mike Pence is expected to announce his candidacy next week.
