Andrew Weissmann Once Said ‘This Is Game Over’ for Trump After New Audio Resurfaced
Editor's note: This article was originally published on June 29, 2023. It has since been updated.
Former federal prosecutor Andrew Weissmann once commented on former US President Donald Trump's controversial and much-highlighted case of classified and sensitive documents. The release of a tape that appears to show Trump discussing classified documents he possessed is a game-changer in the case against him. Weissmann made these comments during an interview with MSNBC's Lawrence O'Donnell, emphasizing the significance of the tape and its implications for the ongoing investigation, as per The Hill.
“And so, the big picture here, I think for people is this is game over if you are following the facts and the law,” Weissmann said. He highlighted that prosecutors working for special counsel Jack Smith, who is overseeing the case, had access to the tape before it became public. He suggested that Smith's team likely interviewed all individuals present in the room during the recording, except for Trump himself. This comprehensive account of the events allowed prosecutors to have a thorough understanding of what transpired while Trump was speaking.
"This is game over if you are following the facts and the law," Weissmann declared, underscoring the weight of the evidence against the former president. The tape, released by CNN, captures a conversation that took place in July 2021 at Trump's golf club in Bedminster, New Jersey. The discussion was related to a potential planned attack on Iran and occurred during an interview with an author and book publisher working on a memoir for former White House chief of staff Mark Meadows. Two Trump staffers were also present. Weissmann clarified that Trump is not charged with disseminating national defense information but with retaining it. He asserted that the tape unequivocally establishes Trump's continued possession of classified information.
Donald Trump is a clear and present danger to America. Listen to the appalling tape of him waiving around classified documents and exposing sensitive information. In his own words. Cackling. An insult to America. He is unfit for office. Unfit.
— Lynn Smith (@Lynnie815) June 28, 2023
Trump has claimed that the tape exonerates him, but the content suggests otherwise. It reveals his understanding of the classification process and indicates that he intentionally held onto national defense information. In the case against him, Trump faces 37 charges, including 31 counts of willful retention of national defense information, which violates the Espionage Act. Weissmann raised the question, saying, "This is a question now of simply: Will the government get a trial before the general election, will a jury follow the law and the facts and will the electorate follow the facts and care? That’s really what this is about," as he noted the significance of public perception in the high-profile case.
As the investigation progresses, the tape's release has undoubtedly shifted the dynamics surrounding Trump's legal predicament. The implications of this evidence, coupled with the extensive body of proof against him, suggest a critical turning point in the legal proceedings.
