Donald Trump continues to make headlines in Washington. He has been handing out his cellphone number to world leaders advising them to call him directly.
Clearly, President Trump is still uneducated about what it means to be President, and what exactly he is risking by handing out his personal cell number to other leaders. Not to mention, this act breaks diplomatic protocol and opens him up to charges of hypocrisy.
If you can recall, during Trump's campaign he bashed Hillary Clinton for using a private email server while she was the Secretary of State, with Trump stating that if she was given access to classified information, she would leave information vulnerable to foreign foes.
Actions like this raise concerns regarding the security and secrecy of, not online classified information, but of all of the President's communications.
As of now, Prime Minister Trudeau is the only world leader to take him up on his offer.
The Presidential Records Act requires preservation of all records related to office and in 2014, the act was amended to include personal emails. However, blind spots exist with regards to direct cellphone communications.
This is not the first or last time Trump is facing scrutiny for attempting to work outside of official channels, as the attempt to create back channels of communication with Moscow made the headlines in the weeks before Trump took office. This also includes Jared Kushner's meeting with the Russian ambassador to determine if back channel communications would benefit them when discussing policy about the situation in Syria.
Furthermore, having world leaders call each other via cellphone, is a notable breach of protocol for President Trump, who has expressed his distrust of official channels, as mentioned above. Calls between leaders are highly orchestrated and done through secure phone lines, whether it be in the White House, Oval office, or the Presidential limousine. The National Security Council and State Department are all involved in these secure calls, providing talking points along with background information on all of the participants on the other end of the call. Transcripts are also generated and dispersed to individuals as needed.
Overall, Trump has not been following by example of the first President to carry a cell phone, President Barack Obama. Obama had his devices put deep into security bubbles. His BlackBerry had a number of functions blocked, and very few people had his phone number and email address.
It only looks like things can get worse for Trump, unless he can smarten up. The worst thing he can do is question or challenge what they have been doing since day one. We'll have to see how long it takes for him to figure out that the way the government handles it's foreign affairs, is the most effective way to do business.
The content of this article is intended to provide a general guide to the subject matter. Specialist advice should be sought about your specific circumstances.
