Concerns are mounting as former members of the intelligence community voice alarm over allegations that Donald Trump shared classified information about U.S. submarines equipped with nuclear capabilities with an Australian businessman at his Mar-a-Lago club in Florida.
As reported by ABC News and The New York Times, in April 2021, the former president reportedly disclosed details about the American submarine fleet to billionaire Anthony Pratt. This included the number of nuclear warheads they typically carried and the proximity to a Russian submarine without detection.
ABC asserted that the supposed disclosure of classified information was brought to the attention of special counsel Jack Smith during an investigation into Trump’s handling of classified documents at Mar-a-Lago. FBI agents reportedly interviewed Pratt, who confirmed the conversation. However, the alleged disclosure did not find its way into the eventual indictment against Trump.
The conversation reportedly occurred in the context of Australia’s acquisition of U.S.-made submarines, with Pratt said to have shared the information Trump allegedly disclosed with at least 45 others. While a spokesperson for Trump did not deny the conversation, they insisted he “did nothing wrong.”
Former Director of National Intelligence James Clapper conveyed serious concern, deeming it a “serious infraction” and emphasizing the potential threat to national security. He highlighted the gravity of affirming knowledge of submarines with foreigners, especially considering their role in the national strategic arsenal.
“It is unfortunately another in a long litany of violations of our national security by a failure to properly protect such sensitive information,” he stated. “If this involved sea-launch ballistic missiles and the subs that carry them, this is a part of our national strategic arsenal, which gets to the very essence of survival of the nation. So it’s hard to overstate—if this is true—how serious this is by affirming knowledge of these submarines with foreigners.”
William Cohen, former Secretary of Defense under Bill Clinton, characterized the alleged disclosure not just as a legal violation but as a dangerous act that could potentially reach adversaries.
“It just spreads like wildfire,” he cautioned. “That’s the danger: you’re not just giving it to a friend, you’re potentially giving it to enemies as well.”
“Out of the [nuclear] triad, the submarine is the one that is the most secure for us because it is not targetable,” Cohen explined. “They’re special, and he’s giving away special information on what is protecting us.”
Cohen: Out of the triad, the submarine is the one that is most secure for us because it's not targetable. So they're special. And he is giving away special information on what is protecting us around the world. pic.twitter.com/mp5sHWsrHV
— Acyn (@Acyn) October 6, 2023
Amid the gravity of the allegations, a Trump spokesperson tried to spin the story by condemning what they termed an “apparent leak” to multiple outlets, emphasizing the need for a Department of Justice investigation into the alleged criminal leaking. They maintained Trump’s innocence, asserting that “he did nothing wrong and acted in a proper manner, according to the law.”
