US media have unveiled an audio clip that suggests Donald Trump may have retained a classified document after vacating the presidency.
The audio features the former President seemingly sifting through papers and uttering, "This is highly confidential." However, this recording has yet to receive independent verification by BBC.
Federal accusations of mishandling confidential files have been met with a plea of not guilty by Trump.
The clip, initially shared by CNN, is reportedly from a July 2021 interview Trump granted to personnel crafting the memoirs of his ex-chief of staff, Mark Meadows. The former President can be heard referring to specific papers as "highly confidential".
The audio seems to align with a recording cited by federal attorneys in their charges against Trump.
Legal officials claim that Trump exposed classified papers to unauthorized individuals on two separate occasions, including a writer and two staff members. One such event allegedly occurred at his New Jersey golf club in July 2021.
With 37 counts of unlawful possession of classified documents and thwarting the government's attempts to recover them, Trump faces severe allegations. He vehemently denies these charges, asserting that all papers he kept post-presidency were devoid of classified status.
The conversation shared by CNN and the Washington Post on Monday has Trump elaborating on a document allegedly concerning potential aggression towards Iran. "He said that I wanted to attack Iran. Isn't it amazing?" Trump is heard at the beginning of the recording.
In a Fox News interview last week, Trump rebuffed allegations of sharing confidential documents with those who were unauthorized. He clarified that there were no secret documents, just a plethora of papers discussing Iran and other topics.