Trump enjoys 'messing with' journalists as they scramble to get his personal phone number: report
President Donald Trump has been readily accessible to numerous journalists who have his personal phone number, but he's often treating these interviews like a joke, according to a new report.
"Years after reporters stopped breathlessly writing up every tweet or crazy moment, the Trump phone exclusive is a new trick that makes news organizations parrot his views, this time under the guise of major scoops," Max Tani quipped in a Semafor piece headlined, "Why (and how) everyone is cold-calling the president." "Some interviews have offered insights into Trump’s thinking, but most are less revealing than the average Trump Truth Social post."
The report noted how journalists from numerous organizations have clamored for Trump’s personal number, but this enthusiasm appears to be one-sided, even as Trump has allowed himself to be so easily accessible. Tani noted that a White House official, speaking anonymously, told him "something that reporters ought to realize: Trump isn’t taking these calls that seriously."
The White House official purportedly said that when Trump picks up the phone for such journalists, "He is often preoccupied, puts them on speaker in front of a large group of people, and he is loosely chatting and has fun messing with them."
TRUMP'S RETURN TO WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENTS' DINNER MARKS POLITICAL JOURNEY COMING FULL CIRCLE
"Reporters who think they are being serious journalists by calling him are frankly doing themselves a disservice," the White House insider added.
But in another example of the mutual love-hate relationship between Trump and the media, even seasoned journalists have trouble resisting the call.
"I feel like Frodo with the ring," one Washington journalist told Tani, referring to the "Lord of the Rings" fantasy series. "I know it’s dangerous, but it keeps beckoning me."
Upon actually acquiring Trump’s number, there are many rumored techniques to make it count.
"The conventional wisdom shared by most people who spoke with Semafor was to try Trump late in the evenings when he is watching TV and chatting," Semafor reported. "One person with his number said the only guaranteed way to get him was to get him on the horn in the middle of the night when he can’t sleep."
Another key aspect of these calls is that many techniques from different sources can be completely contradictory, like, "Another person who’d spoken with him by phone recently said to give him a call early in the morning. Others said don’t give him a call in the morning, as that’s when he’s snapped at some reporters."
"If you’re lucky enough to actually get him, a few elements seem to generally apply to all calls. They’re almost always a few minutes long or less, which media outlets have described, in charitable shorthand, as ‘brief,’" he added. "Two journalists who have interviewed him in person in recent years said he has stopped their interviews at multiple points to field phone calls from other journalists and various public officials and business figures."
CLICK HERE FOR MORE COVERAGE OF MEDIA AND CULTURE
"President Trump is the most transparent and accessible president in history, and he’s truly his own best messenger," the White House told Fox News Digital in a statement. "The press cannot get enough of him, and they know it."