In a stunning disclosure on Friday, CNN released a shocking report revealing that former President Donald Trump openly admitted to possessing highly classified military information that he had not declassified. The startling revelation comes from a transcript of an audio recording of a confidential meeting held in 2021, where Trump was captured discussing a covert Pentagon document regarding potential attacks on Iran.

According to the obtained transcript, Trump was recorded stating, “As president, I could have declassified, but now I can’t.” The bombshell revelation adds to the controversy surrounding Trump, as he recently announced on Thursday that his legal team was informed of an indictment by a federal grand jury in Miami, Florida. The Department of Justice accuses Trump of mishandling classified documents after his presidency and obstructing the government’s relentless efforts to retrieve them.

Despite the ongoing drama, Trump adamantly asserts that all the documents he took with him to his Florida residence, Mar-a-Lago, were already declassified. The secret audio recording of the confidential 2021 meeting, reportedly obtained by prosecutors last week, took place at Trump’s highly secure Bedminster resort. Attendees at the clandestine gathering included Trump aides, individuals involved in the writing of Mark Meadows’ autobiography (Trump’s former chief of staff), and communications specialist Margo Martin.

CNN’s gripping report suggests that the transcript indicates Trump openly displaying the classified document to those present in the room. The meeting was held shortly after an exposé published by The New Yorker, which detailed how Gen. Mark Milley, Chair of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, went to great lengths to prevent Trump from issuing illegal orders during his final days in office. Trump’s scandalous remarks in the transcript appear to align with this narrative.