Trump Tells CNN to Retract Alleged Report That He Still Uses His Personal Cellphone

President Donald Trump addresses his remarks prior to pardoning “Butter” the turkey, in the Rose Garden of the White House on Nov. 26, 2019. (Andrea Hanks/White House)

President Donald Trump told CNN on Friday to “retract” a report that claims he still uses his personal cell phone to make calls.

Trump responded on Twitter, saying that he only used government-approved phones and described CNN’s report as “false information and reporting.”

Following Trump’s tweet, CNN, which has been anti-Trump since Trump took office, said that they stood by their reporting, which claimed “multiple sources.”

In its report, CNN claimed that Trump continued to use his personal cell phone in spite of repeated security warnings about the likelihood of interception by foreign intelligence.

House Intelligence Committee Chairman Rep. Adam Schiff (D-Calif.) told CNN that an unidentified “-1” individual logged from phone records was allegedly Trump, despite saying that his panel is still investigating the identity of the individual.

According to CNN, several members of the House Intelligence Committee “did not know whether the numbers were traced to various individuals or who “-1” was,” which still needs to be verified.

Trump has previously described CNN as “Fake News,” and the impeachment inquiry as “The Greatest Witch Hunt In American History!”

Release of Call Records

Schiff has been criticized over the release of call records by House Intelligence Committee ranking member Devin Nunes (R-Calif.).

Over the course of the impeachment probe, Schiff obtained the call records of Nunes, Republican committee staff members, two of President Donald Trump’s personal attorneys, and an investigative journalist, according to the Democrats’ impeachment report released on Dec. 3. The Democrats disclosed details of the calls, including the time of day and duration of each, in the 300-page report.

The collection and disclosure of calls by Nunes are considered sensitive, considering that he is Schiff’s Republican counterpart on the House Intelligence Committee. In response to his phone records being released, Nunes said that he will take legal action.

“The Democrats’ impeachment charade is flailing, and desperate people do desperate things,” Nunes said in a statement. “So Schiff suddenly published phone records of myself, current and former Republican staff members, and a journalist whose reporting he doesn’t like.”

“It’s a gross abuse of power for a congressman to go after his political opponents, staffers, and reporters in this way, but it’s characteristic of the way Schiff has run this entire show. He’s going to need a long rehabilitation period when this is over.”

According to the 300-page report, phone calls were made between one of the president’s personal attorneys, Rudy Giuliani, and Nunes, during the period April 10-24. The logs also feature calls between Giuliani and the White House, among others.

“The mere fact I had numerous calls with the White House does not establish any specific topic,” Giuliani wrote on Twitter on Dec. 4. “Remember, I’m the President’s attorney.”

“They’ve already taken away [the president’s] right to call witnesses, cross-examine, confront his accusers, or be represented by counsel at hearings. Now he can’t talk to his counsel on the telephone?” Giuliani said. “This is CNN’s version of America? Coming to a theatre near you!”

Ivan Pentchoukov contributed to this report.