According to reports, the third-richest man in Australia has gained notoriety for being quite talkative. Earlier this month, ABC News reported that Anthony Pratt had been going around town, sharing with approximately 45 individuals, including three former Australian prime ministers, that Donald Trump had disclosed potentially sensitive information about American nuclear submarines to him.
A recent joint investigation by 60 Minutes Australia, The Sydney Morning Herald, and The Age has shed more light on Pratt’s claims. The investigation revealed that Pratt not only boasted about the submarines but also claimed that Trump had divulged non-public details about his private calls with foreign leaders, inadvertently exposing confidential information about U.S. military operations. The Australian billionaire’s brazen remarks were captured in a series of secret recordings, some of which were aired during 60 Minutes’ Sunday broadcast.
More excerpts from the recordings were published by The New York Times on Sunday night. The article highlighted the “transactional ethos of the Trump presidency,” which appeared to intertwine personal business interests and public service in an unprecedented manner.
One of the recordings featured Pratt recalling a conversation with Trump where he stated, “It hadn’t even been on the news yet, and he said, ‘I just bombed Iraq today.'” Pratt then mentioned Trump’s conversation with Iraqi President Barham Salih, where the latter allegedly expressed concern about the destruction caused by the bombing. Pratt claimed to have responded provocatively, asking, “OK, what are you going to do about it?”
In addition to the Iraq call, Pratt asserted that Trump referenced the infamous September 2019 conversation with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, which later led to Trump’s first impeachment. Pratt quoted Trump as saying, “That Ukraine phone call? That was nothing compared to what I usually do.” Pratt added, “That Ukraine phone call, that’s nothing compared to what we usually talk about.”
The media reports revealed that Pratt has been cooperating with U.S. federal prosecutors who are investigating potential criminal charges against Trump. He is also listed as a potential witness in Trump’s trial next year. It is unclear whether prosecutors were aware of the recordings prior to their public release.
In response to Pratt’s revelations, a spokesperson for Trump dismissed the tapes, claiming that they lack proper context and relevant information. Trump himself referred to Pratt as a member of Mar-a-Lago, a prestigious club that counts among its members influential figures from friendly countries like Australia.
Pratt’s desire to get close to Trump and his inner circle, including former lawyer Rudy Giuliani, is evident in the recordings. Pratt viewed Giuliani as “cool” and hoped that he would be useful in the future. He even claimed to have paid Giuliani $1 million to attend his birthday party, although the pandemic foiled those plans. Instead, Pratt stated that Giuliani now calls him once a week.
While Pratt admired Trump in some of the recordings, describing him as a “mafioso” with “incredible balls,” he also acknowledged that Trump often seeks to shock and provoke. Pratt remarked, “He just says whatever the fuck he wants, and he loves to shock people.”
In one particularly eyebrow-raising anecdote, Pratt recounted a supposed incident where Trump asked Melania to walk around in a bikini so that other men could appreciate her beauty. Allegedly, Melania responded by saying, “I’ll do that when you walk around with me in your bikini.”
