The Atlantic reports that President Trump’s private cellphone number has widely circulated and may be traded or sold among influence brokers, investors and some journalists. Officials say the number receives about 10 reporter calls in two hours and has become so common among press contacts that staffers must verify unfamiliar names. The Atlantic says reporters were even offered multi-number trades for the president’s contact, and the White House defended his accessibility.
Report: Trump’s Private Cell Number Is Being Traded and Sold as a Commodity
Donald Trump using his cell phone
Reports from inside the White House say President Donald Trump’s private cellphone number has circulated widely and become a sought-after commodity, with brokers, investors and even some journalists allegedly trying to buy or swap it.
What’s Being Reported
The Atlantic’s Michael Scherer, citing two administration officials, reported that the president’s private line is entangled in what officials described as “suspected horse-trading and black-market sales among influence brokers.” According to the reporting, wealthy executives and cryptocurrency investors have reportedly offered money or crypto for the number, while some journalists have proposed trading phone numbers of other world leaders in exchange.
How Accessible the President Is
What stands out in the reporting is how reachable Mr. Trump has been to the press. One official told The Atlantic that the president’s private line can receive roughly 10 calls from reporters in a two-hour span. Sources described a steady stream of press calls.
“It is literally call after reporter call. It is just boom, boom, boom.”
Officials also said many contacts are not saved under recognizable names, and the number has circulated so broadly within the press corps that White House staffers sometimes find themselves Googling unfamiliar names to verify callers.
Alleged Offers And Trades
The Atlantic reported that its own reporters were approached with offers related to the number. Scherer wrote that another journalist offered to trade more than two dozen high-profile cellphone numbers in exchange for the president’s number, a proposal The Atlantic declined. One source suggested that the going rate for such a swap might be a one-for-one exchange with another major world leader’s number.
“We were recently approached by another journalist who offered to trade more than two dozen cellphone numbers of significant stature for the one number of most significant stature. (We declined.)” — Michael Scherer, The Atlantic
White House Response
White House spokeswoman Anna Kelly pushed back against concerns, saying, “President Trump is the most transparent and accessible president in history. The press can’t get enough of Trump, and they know it.”
This article is based on reporting by The Atlantic and first appeared on Mediaite.
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