New York Times: China and Russia listen to Trump's cell phone


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The Times newspaper, quoting current and former officials, said the Chinese spies had listened to Trump's iPhone calls and that the presidential aides had told him that Russian spies were listening regularly.

The use of Trump's cell phone has been noted throughout his tenure, and security experts have raised concerns in the past. CNN noted in April that after John Kelly became chief of staff, Trump had made more calls via the White House switchboard, but by the time of the April report, the president had begun to make other calls via his cell.

the According to a New York Times article, officials who sounded the alarm about Trump's refusal to make unsafe calls were doing so out of frustration.

These officials told The Times that China was seeking to use its findings on Trump to help the country in its trade dispute with the United States and that the Chinese had taken note of Trump's conversations with Stephen Schwarzman, head of the Blackstone Group, and Steve Wynn, a Vegas figure who has made major investments in Macau, a China gaming hub. Wynn stepped down as chairman of the National Republican Committee 's finances last January following allegations of sexual misconduct, which he denied.

China, in turn, began using its own businessmen to try to influence the friendly interlocutors during the Trump talks, according to the New York Times report, hoping that this information will reach the president.

A lawyer from Wynn told the Times that Wynn was retired and declined to comment. A spokeswoman for Blackstone said Schwarzman "was happy to serve as an intermediary on some crucial issues between the two countries at the request of the two heads of state."

As the report indicates, Trump told the Wall Street Journal this week that he had discretion as to the information transmitted by his phone.

"In fact, I said do not give it to me on the phone," Trump said of the death of Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi. "I do not want it over the phone – as good as these phones are supposed to be."

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