Democrats are warning that President Trump’s reported use of an insecure smartphone may be putting his phone and his often-used Twitter account at risk of being hijacked and even spammed with “alternative information.”
In a letter sent Friday, 15 congressional Democrats asked the leaders of the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee to hold a public hearing looking into the “troubling reports” that the president used an “insecure, consumer-grade Android smartphone” to discuss nuclear strategy with Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe in a crowded dining room last weekend at the Mar-a-Lago resort in Palm Beach, Fla.
They also want answers on reports that senior White House staff may have been using insecure email accounts.
The group of Democrats speculate that Trump is “most likely” using a Samsung Galaxy S3, which has “particularly well-documented vulnerabilities,” and could put the president at risk of being spied upon by foreign adversaries.
“Cybersecurity experts universally agree that an ordinary Android smartphone, which the president is reportedly using despite repeated warnings from the Secret Service, can be easily hacked,” the letter said.
The lawmakers, which includes Rep. Ted Lieu of California and Rep. Gerald Connolly of Virginia, said such a phone could put Trump’s “prized Twitter account” at risk of being hijacked “causing disastrous consequences for global stability.”
“More frighteningly,” the letter added, “hackers could present the president with alternative information, which, as the president has repeatedly demonstrated, can have a huge impact on his beliefs and actions.”
Democratic senators, too, have pressed Defense Secretary Jim Mattis for answers on the security of Trump’s smartphone.
Since becoming president, Trump not only took over the @POTUS Twitter handle from his predecessor, but also still uses his @realDonaldTrump account to criticize his political opponents and compliment his allies. There have been multiple instances where Trump tweeted controversial assertions, including unsubstantiated claims of millions of illegal voters giving his presidential election opponent, Hillary Clinton, the popular vote. He also shared a faux crime data graphic as a candidate, among other things.
