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The State Department-marked papers, reported by NPR, laid out the precise locations and meeting times of the summit at Joint Base Elmendorf–Richardson. They also included phone numbers for government employees and details about a three-course lunch that did not occur, including which chairs the presidents would use. The documents appear to have been produced by federal government staff and were left behind.
Much of the information, such as plans for the lunch and a news conference, was made public before the meeting took place. However, some sensitive details, like exact room times, were typically not shared until after an event. White House Deputy Press Secretary Anna Kelly told NPR that the papers were just a “multi-page lunch menu” and suggested leaving them on a public printer was not a security breach.
In 2023, similar security documents detailing President Joe Biden’s movements in Ireland were found by the police while he was in Belfast. The White House did not immediately respond to USA TODAY’s request for comment.
Two pages of the leaked documents included a menu for the canceled lunch, which was to feature filet mignon with brandy peppercorn sauce and halibut olympia, along with a green salad and crème brûlée. Other pages detailed seating arrangements and room times for Trump, Putin, and their aides during the lunch. The documents also included contact information for staff members and the names of 13 U.S. and Russian state leaders who attended, including phonetic pronunciations of the Russian names.
Among the details was a gift from Trump to Putin: an “American Bald Eagle Desk Statue.” Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and leaders of several European countries are scheduled to meet with Trump at the White House on August 18.
