White House might take away staffer cellphones like they're in junior high
Like an angry math teacher, Donald Trump could take away his staffers' cellphones.
The president was "furious" and "disgusted" by excerpts of a book that were made public Wednesday, according to White House Press Secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders.
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Michael Wolff's Fire and Fury: Inside the Trump White House won't hit shelves until Jan. 9, and there are reasons to doubt the book will be completely accurate — but that didn't stop eyebrows from raising over some wildly provocative statements, especially from former White House Chief Strategist Stephen Bannon.
Now, it looks like White House staffers could pay the ultimate price: use of their personal cellphones.
As of next week, West Wing staffers have been told they can’t use personal cell phones anymore per multiple aides. They were told this early in the term but it’s now being enforced, with security concerns being cited.
— Maggie Haberman (@maggieNYT) January 4, 2018
Yep, "security concerns." I'm sure the timing is a complete coincidence.
Staffers weren't too happy about the idea when it was initially floated in November, according to Bloomberg. Cellphones issued by the White House reportedly can't be used to send text messages, which are helpful for telling the family you'll be late for dinner because of another flaming Trump tweetstorm.
Oh, and taking away cellphones might not stop the problem. The book claims Trump could actually be the person responsible for the leaks, per this excerpt released from New York Magazine:
"As details of Trump’s personal life leaked out, he became obsessed with identifying the leaker. The source of all the gossip, however, may well have been Trump himself. In his calls throughout the day and at night from his bed, he often spoke to people who had no reason to keep his confidences. He was a river of grievances, which recipients of his calls promptly spread to the ever-attentive media."
Regardless of who's leaking, Trump has released the hounds on Bannon. The president's lawyers demanded he stop making disparaging comments about Trump and his family.
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