Leaked audiotape from inside President Trump's New Jersey golf club shows him inviting members to "come along" to see him interview candidates for top government positions, shortly after winning the US election.
In the tape obtained by Politico, the recently-elected President thanks members of the Bedminster club for their support throughout the campaign and congratulates them on picking a winner.
"I see all of you. I recognise, like 100 per cent of you, just about," he says to laughter and applause while singling out members for golf banter.
"If you come tomorrow you'll be all over television ... We're doing a lot of interviews tomorrow, generals, dictators, we'll have everything," he said.
"I'll tell you what, you are special people, this is a special place. This is just the beginning.""We were just talking about who we're going to pick for the FCC [Federal Communications Commission] who we're going to pick for this ... I said boy can you give me some recommendations,"
The tape was reportedly recorded on 18 November 2016 before a backed weekend of meetings that included Trump's education secretary pic Betsy DeVos as well as Mitt Romney, Chris Christie and Rudy Giuliani, Robert Johnson and David McCormick.
The leaked tape again shows the President's unconventional approach to politics. For his critics, it's yet another example of his lax approach to key matters of state and blurred lines between his government role and private company. His supporters will see it as typical of his warm and common touch that couldn't be further from the Washington norms.
White House deputy press secretary Sarah Sanders told Politico their story had taken snippets of conversations and taken "events out of context".
She said the President was not literally inviting members into meetings but was "giving a description of what is happening and explaining the nature of the disruptions at the club and reassuring the members."
It comes after President Trump was criticised for his handling of news about a North Korean missile test while in the company of Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe at his "southern White House" Mar-a-lago in Florida.
Pictures of the pair reportedly discussion the issue were shared on social media sparking fears about the security of information that should have been kept confidential.
He also goes on to thank daughter Ivanka and her husband Jared Kushner who he said is "becoming more famous than me".
Ivanka can be heard congratulating her father and saying nobody is more proud of him than her for the election result.
The President-elect at the time then continued to invite the members down while the interviews took place, saying: "We're going to be interviewing everybody. Treasury, we're going to be interviewing Secretary of State.
"I don't know if you want to come around, but if you want it's going to be unbelievable.....it's going to be an unbelievable day so you might want to come along.....it'll be a lot of fun."
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