A newly leaked audio clip has revealed that Donald Trump allegedly told Melania to walk around Mar-a-Lago in a bikini to show his friends “what they were missing”.
A trove of secret recordings of Australian Billionaire Anthony Pratt was obtained by the Australian “60 Minutes” show in a joint investigation with The Sydney Morning Herald and The Age, and also shared with The New York Times.
The recordings capture Mr Pratt speaking about his interactions with Mr Trump back when he was still president – including claims that Mr Trump spilled secret government information to him.
The Australian billionaire and wealthy Mar-a-Lago member first hit headlines earlier this month following a report that Mr Trump disclosed highly classified information about American nuclear-powered submarines and their weaponry to him.
Mr Pratt then reportedly passed this information on to “scores” of other people including “more than a dozen foreign officials” and journalists.
Now, the leaked recordings shine further light on Mr Pratt’s relationship with Mr Trump and the alleged exchange of information between the two men.
In one of the recordings, the Mar-a-Lago member is heard recounting one incident at the former president’s Palm Beach club where Mr Trump urged Melania to don a bikini to make his friends jealous.
“He said, ‘I asked Melania to walk around the pool in a bikini so all the other guys could get a look at what they were missing,’” says Mr Pratt.
The former first lady reportedly fired back at her husband.
“Then Melania said back to him, ‘I’ll do that when you walk around with me in your bikini,’” Mr Pratt says.
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)
Mr Trump responded to the revelations by lashing out at Mr Pratt in a Truth Social post, branding him a “red haired weirdo from Australia” and denying speaking 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!
“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!”
In a statement to The New York Times, a spokesperson for Mr Trump also denied the claims in the reports saying the information came from “sources which totally lack proper context and relevant information”.
Former U.S. President Donald Trump and former first lady Melania Trump arrive for a New Years event at his Mar-a-Lago home on December 31, 2022 in Palm Beach, Florida— (Getty Images)
Mr Trump’s alleged comments about Melania are just one of many revelations to surface from the leaked recordings, which come following reports that Mr Pratt has been interviewed on at least two occasions as part of the classified documents criminal case.
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.
