Previous Reports Said Trump Had Exchanged The Phone For A Locked
by Andrew Cunningham – Jan 25, 2017 10:02 pm UTC
Donald Trump continues to use his “old, unsecured Android phone” since taking office despite “the protests of some of his aides,” according to a report from The New York Times about how the new president is settling in to his routine. This contradicts another report from late last week that indicated Trump had given up the phone in exchange for a “secure, encrypted device approved by the Secret Service.”
It’s not clear exactly what kind of Android phone Trump useshe has previously indicated that it’s a Samsung Galaxy deviceor whether it has also been encrypted or otherwise hardened or what kinds of things he uses it for. Samsung’s Knox software is approved for “sensitive but unclassified use” by the US Department of Defense, so these phones are cleared for at least some kinds of government work when configured correctly.
In any case, it’s surprising that Trump has kept his old phonethe Trump campaign spent months criticizing Democratic nominee Hillary Clinton for her alleged mishandling of sensitive e-mails, and her campaign has claimed that the FBI’s statements on the case may have cost her the election. President Obama was only given a smartphone last year, and in interviews he claimed that it had been so locked down that it couldn’t even be used to take pictures or send text messages.
“A lot of the newfangled stuff for security reasons, I don’t get,” Obama said in 2015.
Bolton Says He Recalls Trump Using The Term Burner Phones
John Bolton, the former national security adviser in the Trump administration, told CBS News on Tuesday that he had heard former President Donald Trump use the phrase burner phones in several discussions and the former president knew what it meant.
White House records obtained by CBS News and The Washington Post show Trump did not use his phone for over seven hours on January 6, 2021 during the attack on the U.S. Capitol, and the House select committee investigating the attack is looking into whether he used a burner phone, or a personal disposable phone whose contacts could not be traced.
In response, the former president said he had never heard of the phrase burner phone.
I have no idea what a burner phone is, to the best of my knowledge I have never even heard the term, Trump said.
But Bolton said he and Trump have spoken about how people have used burner phones to avoid having their calls scrutinized.
The White House documents show no calls placed to or by Trump for seven hours and 37 minutes from 11:17 a.m. to 6:54 p.m. on the day when thousands of his supporters descended on the U.S. Capitol, battled police and forcibly entered the building, prompting lawmakers and Vice President Mike Pence to flee for safety.
Caroline Linton contributed to this report.
Concerns About His Old Phone Persist
A Trump impersonator attends a rally in Las Vegas on Dec. 14, 2015.
Though reports indicate that Trump gave up his Android phone in favor of something more secure, the Times on Jan. 25 reported that he was still using his old handset to do one thing: tweet.
When Trump assumed the position of Commander in Chief, he also inherited Obamas Twitter handle, @POTUS, but most of Trumps action on Twitter still comes from his personal account.
Since moving into 1600 Pennsylvania Ave., Trump has been using his old, unsecured Android to post on Twitter, raising national security concerns, the Times wrote, contradicting earlier reports that he got rid of the device.
Using the phone on an insecure Wi-Fi network could reveal his location and other data on the device, the report noted. Hackers could also potentially breach Trumps smartphone if he were to click on a malicious link inside a tweet or message, then turn on the camera or microphone to spy.
It would be pretty bad if Trump is still tweeting from the same Galaxy S3 he appeared to be using in February 2016. As Android Central pointed out, that handset hasnt been updated since 2015, meaning it lacks important Android security patches available to newer models.
Recommended Reading: Patriots Preseason Game Live Stream
Hotel And Gift Shop Goods
Many of the products used in Trump hotels are from overseas.
The Trump-branded bedding is a mixed-bag. Take this comforter, for instance: The shell is made in China, while the filling and assembly is completed domestically. The matching pillows are begun in China and finished in the U.S.
USA Today reported that his new Washington hotel has chandeliers are from Austria, hallway lamps from China, phones from Malaysia, televisions from South Korea, towels from India, plush robes from China and glasses from Italy. The mattress and pillows, it was noted, are American-made.
Many Trump-branded products sold in the gift shop of the Washington hotel are made overseas, too. The Daily Beast reports that a $32 golf hat is made in Bangladesh, a $50 Trump-branded fleece is made in Pakistan, and an $80 pullover is made in Vietnam. A $15 Trump conditioner and a $15 Trump body butter both listed Canada as its country of origin.
And What Kind Of Pen Does The President Use
Presidential writing pens are a thing. Typically, presidents have a beloved pen brand they use to sign bills, and those pens are then gifted to people involved in working on the bill. Have you ever seen a president use multiple pens to sign one document? Thats again for souvenirsthe more pens, the more people the president can gift them to.
You May Like: How Many Times Has Donald Trump Filed For Bankrupcy
Don’t Miss: Has Trump Lost His Mind
Trump Hid His Calls With Putin Now Biden Has Access To Them
What was said between the two leaders is a great mystery, one that advisers to the current president say is imperative to find out.
President Donald Trump shakes hands with Russian President Vladimir Putin during the G-20 summit in Japan in 2019. | Susan Walsh/AP Photo
By Natasha Bertrand and Daniel Lippman
02/09/2021 07:55 PM EST
Few Trump-era mysteries are as intriguing as what the 45th president said to Vladimir Putin in at least a dozen rambling, off-the-cuff calls and meetings over four years. Understanding what was said between the two could help illuminate whether Trump ever revealed sensitive information or struck any deals with the Kremlin leader that could take the new administration by surprise.
Now that President Joe Biden is in the White House, he can see for himself.
They dont need our approval to see those , a former Trump White House official said, referring to the new Biden national security team. Biden owns all the call materials. There is only one president at a time.
The Biden White House did not comment on whether it had seen the content of the calls. But so far, at least, the National Security Council has not registered any complaints with their ability to access relevant call records from the previous administration.
Of course we didnt delete anything and they would be in NARA and accessible, the official said.
We really tried hard to do it well, said the second former Trump official, who participated in the process.
Trump Adviser Hope Hicks Others Tested Positive For Covid
Despite skepticism by some on social media, the president could have been exposed to the coronavirus during any number of events over the past few weeks.
News of the president and first ladyâs positive test results came after reports that White House adviser Hope Hicks tested positive, according to USA TODAY.
Trump told Fox Newsâ Sean Hannity on Thursday that he and the first lady âspend a lot of time with Hope.â
Hicks traveled extensively with Trump over the last week, including to the first 2020 presidential debate in Cleveland on Sept. 29. USA TODAY reported in-person attendees on Trumpâs side of the auditorium refused to wear masks.
Debate moderator said a safety personnel member from the Cleveland Clinic offered masks to Trumpâs family, but he was âwaved away,âaccording to USA TODAY.
Hicks was one of 180 attendees to watch Trump announce the nomination of Judge Amy Coney Barrett to the Supreme Court in the White House Rose Garden last week. USA TODAY reported that fewer than a third of those at the announcement wore masks.
During an interview on ABCâs âGood Morning Americaâ on Friday, former New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie, who helped Trump prepare for the debate, said the president and others in the room were not wearing masks during preparations.
âNo one was wearing masks in the room when we were prepping the president during that period of time. And the group was about five or six people, in total,â Christie said, according to USA TODAY.
Recommended Reading: Southern Poverty Law Center Patriot Front
Opinionthe Annoyingly Simple Legal Strategy Trump Is Using To Avoid Criminal Charges
The problem is that complexities can open the door to potential defenses in a criminal trial. Putting aside the enormous task of collecting, analyzing and summarizing all of the documents , the prosecution must also prove criminal intent, which can be challenging when the target heads a large organization. In fact, the typical defense offered by tax evaders my accountants prepared my returns and I just signed themhasnt gone unnoticed by Trump, who has already pointed out that his tax returns were prepared by among the biggest and most prestigious law and accounting firms in the U.S. It could be a heavy lift to convict a former president of any kind of business fraud when he has surrounded himself with lawyers and accountants.
That is why the cooperation of those same lawyers and accountants can be essential to obtaining a criminal conviction. Michael Cohen, Trumps convicted former attorney, is enthusiastically cooperating against his former boss, and there is immense pressure on Allen Weisselberg, the chief financial officer of the Trump Organization, to do the same. But both men come with considerable baggage Cohen is a convicted felon, and Weisselberg is under investigation of allegations of tax misdeeds of his own that might impair their credibility at trial.
Trump Insider: Trump Money Man Will Absolutely Flip On Former President
A criminal case generally falls into one of four categories. There are small cases brought against small targets , big cases brought against small targets , small cases brought against big targets and big cases brought against big targets .
A former president of the United States is unquestionably a big target and therefore falls into either category three or four. But there are risks to both approaches.
You May Like: How Many Republicans Caucused In Iowa
The Ceremonial Use Of Pens
Pens are also used in a somewhat ceremonial capacity to sign bills into law by the President. Because of the historical nature of the event, several pens are used and then donated to those who have helped create the bill. This is a White House tradition that dates back many years. Barrack Obama signed the Affordable Healthcare Act with 22 pens and Bill Clinton used 40 pens in 1997 for the Taxpayers Relief Act, all the pens then being passed on as gifts.
Astonishingly though Lyndon Johnson was said to have used as many as 75 pens to sign in the Civil Rights Act in 1964, all for one signature! Lucky recipients of the barely used writing instruments included Rosa Parks, Bobby Kennedy and Martin Luther King. Unsurprisingly perhaps, JFK would write out his name in full, to make the task of using all those pens a little easier. George W Bush however preferred to use just the one pen for signing, hanging on to it and then sharing the unused pens as souvenirs.
Lately though the Parker has been dropped as the go-to pen. German manufacturers Montblanc were said to be very unhappy when Bill Clinton not only used a fake Montblanc to sign in a bill, but then gave out other fakes as souvenirs. American brand Cross has been the presidential pen of choice for a while now which brings us neatly back to the 46th President.
Read Also: Fact Checker Trump Lies
Michael Cohen Explains Why Trump Likes Putin And What Trump Really Thinks Of His Supporters
WASHINGTON Donald Trump is an authoritarian, racist sexual predator, according to a new book by his former lawyer and confidant, who says Trump admires ruthless dictators and openly mocks the working-class Americans he has duped into supporting him.
In âDisloyal: A Memoir,â the lawyer, Michael Cohen, writes that he believes his longtime client wonât leave office willingly if he is defeated in the November election.
Also Check: Where Are Patriot Docks Manufactured
Why Does The Us President Use A New Pen For Each Order
This photo shows President Biden at his desk in the Oval Office. He is holding a pen and signing an executive order. On his right is a pile of further executive orders. In front is a box with approximately 12 pens, apparently one for each order.
Itâs a tradition and the pens are given out later as souvenirs. From this TIME article:
The rationale is fairly simple. The pen used to sign historic legislation itself becomes a historical artifact. The more pens a President uses, the more thank-you gifts he can offer to those who helped create that piece of history. The White House often engraves the pens, which are then given as keepsakes to key proponents or supporters of the newly signed legislation.
During President Trumpâs first signing ceremony, he used multiple pens too, later given to the Members of Congress who had attended.
President Obama famously used 22 pens to sign Obamacare into law. The White House released a video then explaining the tradition.
Obama used 22 pens to sign health care reform legislation into law in March of 2010. He used a different pen for each letter or half letter of his name. âThis is gonna take a little while,â Obama said.
Recently, Speaker Nancy Pelosi also used multiple pens when signing the articles of impeachment during Trumpâs first impeachment.
The pens are usually given to people attending the âSigning Ceremony.â
Send A Letter To The White House
Here are a few simple things you can do to make sure your correspondence gets to the White House as quickly as possible.
- If possible, email us! This is the fastest way to reach the White House.
- If you write a letter, please consider typing it on an 8 1/2 by 11 inch sheet of paper.
- If you hand-write your letter, please write as neatly as possible with an ink pen.
- Include your return address on your letter as well as on your envelope. If you have an email address, please share it with us too.
- And finally, please be sure to write on the outside of your mailing envelope the complete address for the White House to make sure your letter gets to us as quickly and directly as possible:
The White HouseWashington, DC 20500
Also Check: How To Tweet To Trump
Recommended Reading: Are There Republicans Running For President
Donald Trumpfrom Air Force One To This Tiny Jetflying Like Average Ceo
Donald Trumps taking to the friendly skies in a not-so-friendly plane for someone who was the most powerful man on Earth a couple months ago a jet so compact he cant stand up in it!!!
Trump was spotted by the DailyMail in NYC taking a few short steps into what appears to be a Cessna Citation X a super-midsize jet thats the envy of all social media influencers but a basic bird for your average CEO. The jets reportedly a 1997 model registered to the Trump Org.
Dont Miss: What Did Trump Say About Taxes
White House Doubles Down On Trumps Animals Comments
Dozens of Trumps friends and advisers testify to his frequent cellphone use. Florida Rep. Matt Gaetz, a Trump confidant, told POLITICO in April that he hears from the president either late at night or early in the morning, sometimes from a blocked number and sometimes from a 10-digit number that starts with a 202 area code.
Three White House aides confirmed that Trumps cellphone number changes from time to time. Several aides close to the president also carry secure devices from which he can place calls a standard practice in any presidential administration.
Trumps chief of staff John Kelly has cracked down on personal cellphone use by White House staff, citing security risks.
Personal cellphones were banned from the West Wing in Januaryin order to protect White House information technology infrastructure from compromise and sensitive or classified information from unauthorized access or dissemination, according to a memo sent to staff.
The memo was sent after Kellys own phone was apparently compromised during the Trump transition. At the time, according to a senior administration official, he was told to replace the phone his own personal device though he didnt do so until October, after POLITICO reported the potential hacking.
Former government officials from Republican and Democratic administrations expressed astonishment that any White House would issue the president a cellphone that posed a security threat.
Also Check: How Can I Watch The Patriots Game On My Ipad
Four Former Presidents United To Encourage Vaccination
Former presidents Jimmy Carter, Bill Clinton, George W. Bush and Barack Obama are each featured in a video by the Ad Council which shows them, and the former first ladies, getting the coronavirus vaccine.
- This vaccine means hope, said Obama in the video. It will protect you and those you love from this dangerous and deadly disease.
- In order to get rid of this pandemic, its important for our fellow citizens to get vaccinated, Bush said.
Also Check: How Can I Contact Trump
