US president
Donald Trump

Trump’s personal number is reportedly being traded on the black market 

A press report revealed that the personal phone number of US President Donald Trump has become a commodity traded among some intermediaries and influential people, in informal deals aimed at direct access to the US president .

According to a report published by "The Atlantic" magazine, Trump's phone number has become the focus of informal exchanges and sales between journalists, officials, and business figures, in an attempt to gain direct contact with the president.

The figure was circulated among journalists and businessmen

The report quoted US administration officials as saying that Trump's personal number had become the subject of "bargaining and black market sales" among influence brokers.
In some cases, phone numbers of world leaders or influential figures were exchanged for the number of the US president, in deals that the report likened to the trading of player cards or Aaron Judge and Shohei Otani cards among collectors, but with a significant difference in the political value of these deals.
The report also indicated that the number was offered for sale to wealthy entities seeking to influence or gain direct access to the president.

A flood of press communications

According to a White House official, Trump receives a large number of calls daily from journalists, to the point that the phone may receive about 10 calls in just two hours.
One official said: "It's a barrage of calls from journalists; it's happening very quickly."
The report added that White House officials sometimes have to search the internet for the names of journalists calling the number to verify their identity.

The number was initially confidential

At the beginning of Trump's second term, his personal phone number was known only to a small circle of friends and some journalists.
But after about 14 months of his new term, the figure has become commonplace among a larger number of journalists, business people, and even some investors in the cryptocurrency sector.
Trump's history of smartphone use
During his first term, Trump used two iPhones, one for posting on social media, while the other was for calls only.
The two phones were provided by the White House Communications Agency and the White House IT teams, an entity that oversees the presidential communications systems.

White House response

For her part, White House spokeswoman Anna Kelly said the president enjoys a high degree of transparency and openness with the media.
She added: "President Trump is the most transparent and accessible person in history, and the media never tires of communicating with him."
Nevertheless, observers believe that sharing a head of state's phone number in this way could raise security and regulatory questions about how direct communications with the highest office in the United States are managed.