The AP is reporting that Donald Trump has been handing out his cell phone number to world leaders and asking that they ring him up.
You know, like friends reaching friends. That's so cute. Apparently Canada's Justin Trudeau has already done so.
Except, there's those pesky security protocols to protect the presidency from spies and lookie loos that intercept everything.
The notion of world leaders calling each other up via cellphone may seem unremarkable in the modern, mobile world. But in the diplomatic arena, where leader-to-leader calls are highly orchestrated affairs, it is another notable breach of protocol for a president who has expressed distrust of official channels. The formalities and discipline of diplomacy have been a rough fit for Trump — who, before taking office, was long easily accessible by cellphone and viewed himself as freewheeling, impulsive dealmaker.
Presidents generally place calls on one of several secure phone lines, including those in the White House Situation Room, the Oval Office or the presidential limousine. Even if Trump uses his government-issued cellphone, his calls are vulnerable to eavesdropping, particularly from foreign governments, national security experts say.
As my pal Steve Benen points out, "Trump spent a year condemning Hillary Clinton for using a private email server to conduct official business – which makes it odd that he now wants to use a private phone to conduct official business."
I wouldn't call it odd though since Trump believes no rules apply to him since he's the president. He's acted like a spoiled child who believes he's beyond the law his entire life and now he's sitting in the Oval office.
I imagine he's seen or heard about this Twilight Zone episode and wished he could turn people that disappoint him into a jack-in-the-box and send them to the cornfield.
