President Donald Trump was allegedly caught on a secret recording making a jaw-dropping claim about the 2024 assassination attempt on his life, a report says.
According to journalist Ryan Lizza, his ex-girlfriend, former New York Magazine reporter Olivia Nuzzi, used a sketch artist to surveil Trump at Mar-a-Lago last summer under the guise of creating a portrait.
Lizza claimed in part three of his eight-part Substack series that the artist, Isabelle Brourman, was present when Trump allegedly spoke about the attempt on his life in Butler, Pennsylvania.
Lizza said what Trump reportedly said “would shatter our understanding of recent history,” though he did not reveal the exact details.
Florida law requires two-party consent to record conversations, which means any recording without Trump’s agreement could be illegal. The report left readers waiting for the fourth part of Lizza’s series, where the full claim may be disclosed.
The assassination attempt in July 2024 involved 20-year-old Thomas Crooks, who federal authorities say acted alone and had a long history of promoting political violence.
At the time of the alleged recording, Trump was holding campaign meetings with allies like Matt Gaetz and Susie Wiles, highlighting the politically charged environment, per the Daily Mail.
Lizza described Nuzzi’s reasoning for sending in the sketch artist: Trump had taken a liking to her during his Manhattan trial, and she believed he would enjoy having her around while working on the portrait. The surveillance reportedly allowed Brourman to hear what Trump said firsthand.
The allegations tie into a larger narrative involving Nuzzi, Lizza claimed. He accused her of using journalistic methods to support Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s presidential campaign after a fling in 2023.
Lizza alleged that Nuzzi’s actions included a form of “catch-and-kill,” where she collected damaging information to prevent stories from hurting Kennedy while positioning him to endorse Trump and secure a Cabinet role.
The claims are part of a sprawling, controversial Substack series following Lizza and Nuzzi’s breakup, which he says was partially due to an alleged affair between Nuzzi and Kennedy.
Lizza also suggested Nuzzi had affairs with other political figures, including former Republican Representative Mark Sanford, raising questions about journalistic ethics and impartiality.
The fallout has already affected Nuzzi. After the story broke, she was put on leave by New York Magazine and was later fully ousted. She is now Vanity Fair’s West Coast editor, where her position could be at risk as the allegations continue to surface.
Lizza framed the entire situation as less about personal scandal and more about journalistic misconduct, claiming her personal relationships may have influenced her reporting inappropriately.
Meanwhile, federal authorities continue to confirm details of the 2024 assassination attempt, but the exact comments Trump allegedly made remain undisclosed.
Lizza’s series has left readers speculating about the potential implications of the secret recording and the extent to which behind-the-scenes political maneuvers intersected with personal relationships and reporting ethics.
