Overview

• A Politico exposé confirms that leaders such as Emmanuel Macron of France, Mohammed bin Salman of Saudi Arabia and Keir Starmer of the United Kingdom regularly contact President Trump on his private phone.
• Allies credit these informal calls with reducing friction among NATO members and driving increased military aid commitments for Ukraine.
• Insiders recount playful, “brotherly” exchanges where Trump and Macron stretched each other’s names during private conversations.
• Security specialists caution that using a nonsecure personal device exposes the president to eavesdropping, identity theft and unauthorized access.
• Internal White House efforts to monitor or restrict Trump’s private cellphone use have repeatedly failed.