Donald Trump Trump bites back hard over sub leak claims

Donald Trump has finally responded to reports that he shared sensitive submarine details with an Aussie billionaire, while also dropping a big hint about AUKUS.

Donald Trump has rejected allegations that he shared America’s nuclear submarine secrets with Australian billionaire Anthony Pratt as “false and ridiculous”.

But in defending himself on social media, the former president said he would “always promote” America’s military equipment to its allies, in what could be a good sign for the AUKUS submarine deal as Mr Trump campaigns to return to the White House next year.

America’s ABC News had reported that Mr Trump shared with Mr Pratt – the cardboard king in charge of Visy in Australia and Pratt Industries in the US – sensitive information about the US nuclear submarine fleet in a conversation at his Mar-a-Lago estate in early 2021.

Anthony Pratt, Donald Trump and Scott Morrison in 2019. Picture: Twitter

Mr Pratt was later interviewed at least twice by FBI agents and prosecutors working for special counsel Jack Smith as part of an investigation into the former president’s mishandling of classified information after leaving the White House.

The conversation started, according to ABC News, when the billionaire told Mr Trump he believed the US should sell its nuclear submarines to Australia.

Months later, the secret AUKUS pact was unveiled for Australia to acquire nuclear submarines, before US President Joe Biden agreed earlier this year to sell at least three US Virginia-class boats to Australia in the 2030s.

Mr Trump said the ABC News story was “false and ridiculous, other than the fact that I will often state that we make the best submarines and military equipment anywhere in the world – a pretty well known fact!”.

The former president has not weighed in on AUKUS and whether he would follow through if re-elected in 2024 on Mr Biden’s deal, which has met some opposition from Republicans concerned about the slow pace of submarine production in the US.

But in his social media post, Mr Trump said: “I will always promote the greatness of America – and its military equipment.”

“The alternative would be for allies, and others, to buy from Russia, China, or elsewhere,” he said.

“I like creating jobs in America, which was one of my most successful achievements as President!”

BILLIONAIRE BOXED INTO TRUMP SCANDAL

On Friday, reports alleged Donald Trump allegedly shared sensitive information about America’s nuclear submarines with Australia’s cardboard king Anthony Pratt, prompting investigators to interview the billionaire as part of a criminal probe into the former president.

According to America’s ABC News, Mr Pratt has spoken at least twice to FBI agents and prosecutors working for special counsel Jack Smith, who has slapped Mr Trump with 40 charges over his mishandling of classified information after leaving the White House.

Unnamed sources told the outlet that in a conversation at Mr Trump’s Mar-a-Lago estate, he told one of Australia’s richest men the exact number of nuclear warheads carried by US submarines and exactly how close they could get to Russian boats without detection.

Mr Pratt has been contacted about the story and is yet to respond. He is not accused of wrongdoing.

Donald Trump allegedly shared sensitive information about America’s nuclear submarines with Australia’s cardboard king Anthony Pratt.

According to ABC News, the billionaire boss of Visy and the US-based Pratt Industries later described Mr Trump’s remarks to at least 45 people including three former Australian prime ministers, six journalists, 11 of his employees and 10 Australian officials.

The investigators reportedly asked Mr Pratt not to repeat the information any further, despite the Australian saying he was not sure if the former president was telling the truth.

The New York Times reported that Mr Pratt has been identified by Mr Smith’s team as one of more than 80 people who could be called to testify against the former president during the classified documents trial, which is due to start in May in Florida.

Mr Pratt foresaw Mr Trump’s rise prior to the 2016 election, putting $100,000 on his unlikely victory with the TAB and claiming a handsome $450,000 payout.

He purchased a $US200,000 membership to the Mar-a-Lago club in Florida, where he spoke with the president on several occasions.

US President Donald Trump and billionaire Anthony Pratt.

In 2019, Mr Trump opened one of Mr Pratt’s paper mills in Ohio alongside Scott Morrison, who was the prime minister at the time. Mr Pratt called the president a friend while Mr Trump hailed him as “perhaps Australia’s most successful man”.

Mr Pratt is Australia’s largest investor and employer in the US. According to The Australian’s Richest 250 list, he and his family are worth $27.87bn.

The sensitive conversation with Mr Trump reportedly occurred in April 2021, shortly after the president had left office but before the AUKUS partnership had been announced by Mr Morrison, President Joe Biden and UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson.

According to ABC News, Mr Pratt told the president he believed Australia should purchase submarines from the US. This was formalised earlier this year when the Biden administration agreed to sell Australia at least three Virginia-class nuclear submarines in the 2030s.

Donald Trump was slapped with 40 charges over his mishandling of classified information after leaving the White House.

Mr Trump’s actions at Mar-a-Lago have been at the centre of Mr Smith’s criminal investigation, with the indictment including pictures of sensitive documents piled up in a bathroom and on a stage at the beachfront estate.

Details of his conversation with Mr Pratt were not referenced in the charges laid by Mr Smith, who was appointed by the Department of Justice to independently investigate Mr Trump, the leading Republican candidate to take on Mr Biden in next year’s election.

ABC News reported a former Mar-a-Lago employee overheard Mr Pratt sharing his conversation with the former president with someone else. The ex-employee reportedly told investigators he was “shocked” to hear sensitive information provided to a non-US citizen.

But Mr Pratt told investigators that Mr Trump never showed him any documents, according to the ABC News report.

A spokesperson for the former president said the allegations “lack proper context and relevant information”, but did not explain the conversation with Mr Pratt.

“The Department of Justice should investigate the criminal leaking, instead of perpetrating their baseless witch-hunts,” the spokesperson said.

“President Trump did nothing wrong, has always insisted on truth and transparency, and acted in a proper manner, according to the law.”

Originally published as Donald Trump Trump bites back hard over sub leak claims