This leaked tape was a trap and Donald Trump just stepped in it
We still don’t know how the incriminating recording of Donald Trump in the classified documents case has made its way to the media. Trump claims Jack Smith leaked it. It seems more likely that Trump leaked it, in an effort at muddying the waters ahead of trial. It’s also plenty possible that some third party individual had a copy and decided to give it to the media once the discovery process got underway.
But it occurs to me that regardless of how the recording got out there, it’s forced Trump to publicly commit himself to a specific version of events. He’s now on record claiming that he wasn’t actually holding a classified document when he claimed on tape that he was, and that he was instead lying to his own people. What if it turns out that one or more of the people in that room has flipped on Trump? What if one of them got a good look at what was in Trump’s hand? At that point Trump won’t be able to change his story. He may have just screwed himself out of whatever slim shot he might have had at pulling off a reasonable doubt defense.
Again, we don’t know who leaked this recording to the media. But one way or another, by design or happenstance, this was a trap – and Donald Trump stepped right into it by immediately committing himself to a specific story about what was going on during that recording.
There’s a reason Trump’s attorneys keep quitting and he’s having trouble finding new ones. Plenty of attorneys are willing to take on a client who is guilty and is likely to lose. Few attorneys are willing to take on an embarrassing idiot for a client who keeps making stupid mistakes like this.
