Donald Trump has hit out at Anthony Pratt branding him “a red haired weirdo from Australia” after the billionaire was captured in leaked audio claiming that Mr Trump had spilled secret government information to him.
In secret recordings obtained by the Australian “60 Minutes” show in a joint investigation with The Sydney Morning Herald and The Age, and shared with The New York Times, Mr Pratt is heard detailing his encounters with Mr Trump while he was president.
Mr Pratt, a Mar-a-Lago member as well as Australia’s richest man, claims in the audio that Mr Trump disclosed highly classified information to him including details about American nuclear-powered submarines and their weaponry.
The former president is also alleged to have told Mr Pratt about calls with foreign leaders, including one with Ukrainain President Volodyrmr Zelesnky and another with the president of Iraq shortly after US forces bombed Iranian-backed terrorists in the country.
“He said ‘I just bombed Iraq today. And the president of Iraq called me up and said, ‘You just leveled my city.’’ And I said to him, ‘Okay, what are you going to do about it?’” Mr Pratt says in one of the recordings.
Mr Trump lashed out at the allegations by Mr Pratt in a Truth Social post on Sunday, branding him a “red haired weirdo from Australia” and denying that he spoke to him about American submarines.
“The Failing New York Times story, leaked by Deranged Jack Smith and the Biden “Political Opponent Abuser” DOJ, about a red haired weirdo from Australia, named Anthony Pratt, is Fake News,” he wrote.
“I never spoke to him about Submarines, but I did speak to him about creating jobs in Ohio and Pennsylvania, because that’s what I’m all about - JOBS, A GREAT ECONOMY, LOW TAXES, NO INFLATION, ENERGY DOMINANCE, STRONG BORDERS, NO ENDLESS WARS, LOW INTEREST RATES, and much more!
Anthony Pratt speaks onstage at The New York Times Climate Forward Summit 2023 at The Times Center on September 21, 2023 in New York City— (Getty Images for The New York Ti)
“Maggie Hagerman and the Misfits never called me for a comment. Why would they, they just write anything they want. Whether it’s correct or not is of ZERO importance to them. “All the News That’s Unfit To Print.” That’s why we call it the Fake News!” he added.
In a statement to The New York Times, a spokesperson for Mr Trump also denied the claims saying the information came from “sources which totally lack proper context and relevant information”.
In the recordings, Mr Pratt also claimed the former president told his wife Melania to walk around Mar-a-Lago in a bikini to show his friends “what they were missing”.
The former first lady reportedly fired back at her husband, according to Mr Pratt.
“Then Melania said back to him ‘I’ll do that when you walk around with me in your bikini,’” Mr Pratt is heard saying in the recording.
Mr Trump is facing a slew of federal charges over his alleged mishandling of classified documents— (REUTERS)
The leaked audio comes following reports that Mr Pratt has been interviewed on at least two occasions as part of the classified documents criminal case against Mr Trump.
Mr Trump is facing a slew of federal charges over his alleged mishandling of classified documents – including top secret information – on leaving office.
The federal indictment came following a two-year investigation by special counsel Jack Smith’s office.
Mr Pratt – a major Mr Trump donor – is listed as a potential witness at the trial, which is due to start in May 2024.
