Trump reportedly gave out his personal cell phone number to world leaders and US officials 'had no idea' he was making calls

donald trump phone call malcolm turnbull

President Donald Trump reportedly gave out his personal cell phone number to foreign leaders shortly after taking office.
White House officials were shocked after a summary of a conversation was released without their knowledge.
US officials reportedly had to rely on Trump's memory of the call for details.
Following the incident, US officials insisted Trump adhere to the federal records law and route all calls with foreign leaders through the Situation Room.

President Donald Trump reportedly gave out his personal cell phone number to foreign leaders shortly after taking office and shocked White House officials when a summary of a conversation was released without their knowledge.

White House aides who were unaware Trump had spoken to Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau were startled after Canadian officials released a summary of a conversation in April 2017, according to a Washington Post report published on Friday.

"We had no idea what happened," a senior US official told The Post.

During the call, Trudeau reportedly objected to Trump's and his administration's claims of a trade imbalance between the two countries.

Calls with foreign leaders are usually planned ahead and scripted, requiring consultation with senior advisers, such as the national security adviser. The call is eventually transcribed and then parsed into a public statement.

According to the public statement from Trump's call with Trudeau, the two leaders "discussed the dairy trade" and "discussed lumber coming into the United States." Officials reportedly had to rely on Trump's memory of the call for details, The Post said.

"It was a very amicable call," the public statement said.

Following the incident, US officials insisted Trump adhere to the federal records law and route all calls with foreign leaders through the Situation Room.

The report brings renewed scrutiny on Trump and his rumored private cellphone use, particularly after an investigation revealed that cellphone surveillance devices were discovered near the White House and other "sensitive facilities" in Washington.

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