Amidst a swirling controversy surrounding a leaked audio recording, former President Donald Trump maintains his innocence, dismissing the situation as another "hoax" and "election interference." The recording purportedly captures Trump discussing classified documents he retained after leaving office. Trump, currently the leading contender for the Republican presidential nomination, insists that "everything was fine" and "we did nothing wrong."

The former president's assertions come in the wake of his indictment and arraignment earlier this month on 37 felony charges related to the alleged mishandling of classified materials. The audio recording, obtained by CNN, appears to depict Trump discussing sensitive military plans with others at his Bedminster, New Jersey golf club. While the recording seemingly contradicts his earlier statements to Fox News' Bret Baier, Trump maintains he was discussing innocuous materials like news clippings.

Trump now states that the "rustle of paper" heard in the recording is evidence of the numerous papers he had, including newspaper articles and magazines. He questions what he said wrong and challenges anyone to point out wrongdoing beyond "fake news." He denies any concern about other potential recordings, asserting that he "does things right" and is a "legitimate person," unlike President Biden, whom he accuses, without evidence, of receiving vast sums of money from foreign entities.

These statements were made in Concord, New Hampshire, where Trump addressed the annual fundraising gala of the New Hampshire Federation of Republican Women. Coincidentally, Florida Governor Ron DeSantis, another Republican presidential candidate, was also in New Hampshire on the same day, holding a town hall meeting. Several other GOP candidates, including Nikki Haley, Vivek Ramaswamy, and Will Hurd, were also campaigning in the state. Trump, who holds a significant lead over DeSantis in polls, has consistently targeted the Florida governor. DeSantis, however, maintains confidence in his ability to counter Trump's attacks and build momentum with endorsements.

Trump's New Hampshire campaign has announced a grassroots leadership team of 150 members, with plans to expand to over 3,000 by September. After his address in Concord, Trump opened his New Hampshire campaign headquarters in Manchester. He reflected on potential members of a second Trump administration, mentioning figures like Stephen Miller, General Kellogg, Ric Grenell, while criticizing former Attorney General Bill Barr for lacking courage.