Former President Donald Trump allegedly shared sensitive information about U.S. nuclear submarines with an Australian billionaire, according to a new report.
ABC News reported Thursday that Trump allegedly discussed potentially sensitive information about U.S. nuclear submarines with Australian billionaire, Anthony Pratt, who is also a member of his Mar-a-Lago club.
This information was then reported to special counsel Jack Smith’s team as they investigated Trump’s mishandling of classified documents while at his Florida resort. The report also shines a new light on Trump’s sharing of sensitive government secrets.
Prosecutors and FBI agents have interviewed Pratt, who runs U.S.-based Pratt Industries. In those interviews, he claimed he told Trump he believed Australia should start buying its submarines from the United States.
The former president responded by “leaning in” to tell Pratt two key pieces of classified information: the supposed exact number of nuclear warheads the submarine carries, and exactly how close they can get to a Russian submarine without being detected.
Pratt responded by repeating the information from Trump to six journalists, 11 of his company’s employees, 10 Australian officials, and three former Australian prime ministers, according to the report.
It’s unclear if the information was accurate.
While interviewing with Smith’s team, Pratt was reportedly told to not repeat the numbers that Trump told him, with officials worried the information could still be too sensitive.
Trump called Pratt a “friend” repeatedly through the years, even attending the opening of a Pratt Industries plant in Ohio in 2019.
“We’re here to celebrate a great opening and a great gentleman,” Trump said. “Anthony is one of the most successful men in the world — perhaps Australia’s most successful man.”
The Trump campaign has responded to the report, claiming the former president has done nothing wrong.
“President Trump did nothing wrong, has always insisted on truth and transparency, and acted in a proper manner, according to the law,” the spokesperson said.
