Ex-Trump spokesperson claims she saw him show off documents on Mar-a-Lago dining patio
Stephanie Grisham said she saw Mr Trump show classified documents to people ‘on the dining room patio’ at Mar-a-Lago
Your support helps us to tell the story
From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.
At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.
The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.
Your support makes all the difference.A former top Trump White House spokesperson has said that the former president “never” showed any sign of understanding the meaning of classification or other methods used to protect national defence secrets during his time in office.
Stephanie Grisham served as Donald Trump’s press secretary and communications director and was also the top spokesperson and chief of staff to former first lady Melania Trump.
Ms Grisham, who has become a fervent critic of her former boss, appeared on MSNBC on Sunday to discuss the former president’s legal situation following his indictment on federal charges over his alleged unlawful retention of national defence information and obstruction of justice.
She said that Mr Trump never exhibited any reverence for how the nation protects important information.
Asked about a report indicating that a top Trump campaign aide, Susie Wiles, has been speaking to prosecutors and could be a witness against Mr Trump, Ms Grisham said she regularly saw him disregard best practices for handling sensitive documents and classified information, including at Mar-a-Lago, the Palm Beach mansion turned private club where he spent winter weekends as president before making it his primary home post-White House.
Trump news – live: Ex-Trump press secretary says she saw him show documents to Mar-a-Lago guests
Pete Buttigieg takes down Ron DeSantis over ‘strange’ anti-LGBT campaign video with ‘oiled-up bodybuilders’
Senator who once worked at a Planned Parenthood warns that Republicans are planning a national abortion ban
“I watched him show documents to people at Mar-a-Lago on the dining room patio,” she said.
“He has no respect for classified information [and] never did.”
The ex-White House spokesperson may have been referring to a now-infamous incident that took place when the late Japanese prime minister Shinzo Abe visited Mr Trump at his Florida property.
During Abe’s visit, North Korea made a show of testing a ballistic missile.
Mar-a-Lago visitors were then treated to an uncommon sight: a sitting president and another world leader using the club’s open-air patio to review classified intelligence on the missile test.
One club member, Jay Weitzman, told The Washington Post at the time that he could see Mr Trump, Abe, and a group of aides reviewing materials on a computer.
“Someone opened up a laptop, and at the table ... a group of Japanese people stood around the prime minister and Donald, and they were all looking at the laptop,” he said.
Join our commenting forum
Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies
Comments