Reports indicate that former U.S. President Donald Trump has frequently taken personal phone calls while in the Oval Office during sensitive meetings, raising concerns about efficiency and potential information security. This behavior, according to sources, has led to interruptions and fears of intelligence leaks.
Multiple sources have reportedly told NBC News that meetings in the Oval Office involving Donald Trump have been interrupted by his personal phone calls. These sources claim the calls are frequent and often involve individuals like Ultimate Fighting Championship chief executive Dana White and conservative media mogul Rupert Murdoch.
One official cited an instance where Trump reportedly suggested calling Rupert Murdoch, stating, “He’ll say, ‘Let’s call Rupert. Fox is killing me today.'” Another report mentioned Trump calling the retired media executive to discuss views on the Israel-Iran conflict.
According to officials, these interruptions and a reported short attention span have caused delays, with meetings sometimes extending for several hours beyond their scheduled time as Trump keeps participants present.
Former US President Donald Trump seated at a desk in the Oval Office.
Concerns have reportedly been raised by military leaders privately regarding the potential “leakage” of sensitive information. One anecdote cited involved Meta’s CEO, Mark Zuckerberg, allegedly being present during a meeting about a planned Air Force fighter jet, though the specifics of how he came to be there or what information was discussed are unclear in the reports.
An unnamed Republican senator reportedly stated that Trump “lives on the telephone,” suggesting this behavior is consistent with his previous term in office. The senator added that Trump likes to receive calls and asked the senator why they didn’t call him more often.
Crowd gathered at a sporting event.
Trump’s approach to handling potentially sensitive communications gained attention in April following an incident where former National Security Advisor Michael Waltz accidentally added a journalist from The Atlantic to a group chat discussing U.S. plans regarding adversaries.
Trump reportedly downplayed the significance of this incident at the time, stating there were no sensitive details compromised and that it had no impact on operations. He speculated that a “very innocent staffer” or the journalist might have been responsible.
Waltz later took responsibility for adding the journalist, calling the journalist a “loser” who might have deliberately tricked someone to gain access.
Donald Trump seated at a table during a meeting or event.
These reports collectively paint a picture of a White House environment where official proceedings were regularly paused for personal calls, leading to concerns among some officials about operational efficiency and the security of information discussed during critical meetings.
For further context on White House operations and security protocols, explore related news coverage.
A golf event with a crowd present.
