Having dinner with a billionaire
Report: Trump chatted about nuclear submarines
October 6, 2023, 3:54 a.m
While Trump’s lawyers in Washington want to defeat charges of election interference, new details about the ex-president’s handling of national security are leaking out. He is said to have talked about nuclear submarines in front of an Australian billionaire, media reports.
Former US President Donald Trump reportedly shared classified information about nuclear submarines with an Australian businessman after his term ended. The Republican relayed the details at a dinner at his private estate Mar-a-Lago in the US state of Florida, ABC and the New York Times newspaper reported, citing people familiar with the matter. The Australian billionaire is said to have then spread the details about the submarines. He was questioned by the public prosecutor’s office as part of the ongoing investigation against Trump.
Trump has to fight legally on several fronts. The Republican is accused, among other things, of illegally storing highly sensitive information from his time as US President in private rooms. According to the indictment, these include secret documents containing information on US nuclear capabilities and the country’s military emergency plans. The Federal Police FBI searched his Mar-a-Lago property in August 2022 and confiscated various classified information there. Trump pleaded not guilty at the arraignment in Miami in June. It was the first federal indictment for Trump. The trial is scheduled to start on May 20, 2024.
The Australian billionaire’s name does not appear in the indictment. According to the New York Times, Trump did not show the man any secret material – but did talk about secret information. Specifically, according to the New York Times, the ex-president is said to have talked about how many nuclear warheads were on board the submarines and how close the submarines could get to Russian boats without being detected.
Lawyers request dismissal of the lawsuit
Trump, meanwhile, requested that federal charges of election interference against him be dismissed. In an application filed with the federal court in Washington, Trump’s lawyers argue that the Republican was protected by his immunity as president at the time. “When, as here, the president’s actions are within his authority, he is absolutely immune from prosecution.”
Trump was indicted by the federal judiciary at the beginning of August for his attempts to overturn the outcome of the 2020 presidential election and thus stay in power. The right-wing populist, who wants to run again in the 2024 presidential election, has rejected all allegations and pleaded not guilty. The 77-year-old was also charged in Atlanta, Georgia, with similar allegations.
After the November 2020 election, Trump refused to acknowledge his defeat against Democrat Joe Biden. Rather, he made allegations of massive electoral fraud, which have often been refuted. Trump’s campaign against his election defeat culminated in the attack on Congress by radical supporters of the elected incumbent on January 6, 2021.
“Part of his duties as president”
Trump’s lawyers are now arguing that the 77-year-old’s statements about the election were part of his duties as president. Public statements “including tweets” on matters of public interest would “unquestionably fall within the scope of the president’s official duties,” the 46-page motion to dismiss the federal charges says. The lawyers continue to write that the same applies to meetings with representatives of the individual states regarding the election process and to discussions with the Vice President and with congressional representatives to certify the election results. That’s why Trump enjoys immunity – and the charges must be dismissed.
Trump has already been indicted in four criminal cases this year. A civil lawsuit is currently underway in New York over allegations that the real estate entrepreneur has overstated the value of his properties for years. Despite his numerous judicial problems, the right-wing populist is the overwhelming favorite for the presidential candidacy of his Republican Party. He wants to challenge incumbent Biden in the presidential election in November 2024 and thus take revenge for his election defeat in 2020.