Beautiful Virgin Islands

Tuesday, Jun 03, 2025

Why 'burner phones' are the talk of Washington

Why 'burner phones' are the talk of Washington

Many people had no idea what a burner phone was until crime drama The Wire popularised the term in the early 2000s. Now they're the talk of Washington - here's why.

It all started with White House logs published by CBS News and The Washington Post, Donald Trump spent more than seven hours on 6 January, as the US Capitol was being attacked by a mob of his supporters, calling... no one.

At least, not officially.

That runs directly counter to multiple reports and first-hand accounts of presidential conversations that took place that day - including with Vice-President Mike Pence, House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy and Alabama Senator Tommy Tuberville.

Mr Tuberville has recounted how he spoke with the president at around 2:00 pm, informing him that the vice-president had been evacuated from the Capitol by Secret Service.

This raises the question of how the president was communicating with those at the scene of the riot. Did he borrow an aide's mobile device?

Or was he, perhaps, using a "burner phone" - slang for low-cost, low-feature pay-as-you-go mobile phones that can be purchased without providing the kind of contact details necessary when signing a traditional wireless contract.

In a statement to the Washington Post, Mr Trump said that he had never heard of the term "burner phone" and had no idea what it was.

His assertion was quickly contradicted by John Bolton, the president's former national security advisor, who told CBS News that he and Mr Trump had spoken in the past of how burner phones could allow people to avoid having their calls scrutinised.

Because of the anonymity they provide, these phones - sold in the US by companies like Tracfone and Alcatel - have become popular among criminal elements and spouses seeking illicit love.

According to the Mirriam-Webster dictionary website, the term "burner" as a word for disposable phones first began appearing in US popular culture in the mid-90s. It cites the lyrics from rapper Kingpin Skinny Pimp in One Life 2 Live: "Talkin' on the burner phone, bumpin' hutch."

The slang first entered the mainstream American lexicon in the early 2000s, however, upon repeated usage in the HBO crime drama The Wire. The main characters disposed of their burner phones whenever they feared law enforcement was on their trail.

This isn't the first time the subject of unofficial phones has come up in connection with the former president. A 2018 New York Times story reported that the president frequently used as many as three iPhones to place calls to friends and aides - one of which was a personal device not secured by the US government.


"Mr. Trump typically relies on his cellphones when he does not want a call going through the White House switchboard and logged for senior aides to see," the New York Times reported. "Many of those Mr. Trump speaks with most often on one of his cellphones, such as hosts at Fox News, share the president's political views, or simply enable his sense of grievance about any number of subjects."

The president, at the time, denied the story, calling it "soooo wrong".

The congressional committee investigating the 6 January Capitol attack has requested mobile phone records.

It is looking into why the White House logs appear to be incomplete and whether the president or his aides took steps to ensure that presidential communications were not recorded that day.

Newsletter

Related Articles

Beautiful Virgin Islands
0:00
0:00
Close
Dutch government falls as far-right leader Wilders quits coalition
Harvard Urges US to Unfreeze Funds for Public Health Research
Businessman Mauled by Lion at Luxury Namibian Lodge
Researchers Consider New Destinations Beyond the U.S.
53-Year-Old Doctor Claims Biological Age of 23
Trump Struggles to Secure Trade Deals With China and Europe
Russia to Return 6,000 Corpses Under Ukraine Prisoner Swap Deal
Microsoft Lays Off Hundreds More Amid Restructuring
Harvey Weinstein’s Publicist Embraces Notoriety
Macron and Meloni Seek Unity Despite Tensions
Trump Administration Accused of Obstructing Deportation Cases
Newark Mayor Sues Over Arrest at Immigration Facility
Center-Left Candidate Projected to Win South Korean Presidency
Trump’s Tariffs Predicted to Stall Global Economic Growth
South Korea’s President-Elect Expected to Take Softer Line on Trump and North Korea
Trump’s China Strategy Remains a Geopolitical Puzzle
Ukraine Executes Long-Range Drone Strikes on Russian Airbases
Conservative Karol Nawrocki wins Poland’s presidential election
Study Identifies Potential Radicalization Risk Among Over One Million Muslims in Germany
Good news: Annalena Baerbock Elected President of the UN General Assembly
Apple Appeals EU Law Over User Data Sharing Requirements
South Africa: "First Black Bank" Collapses after Being Looted by Owners
Poland will now withdraw from the EU migration pact after pro-Trump nationalist wins Election
"That's Disgusting, Don’t Say It Again": The Trump Joke That Made the President Boil
Trump Cancels NASA Nominee Over Democratic Donations
Paris Saint-Germain's Greatest Triumph Is Football’s Lowest Point
OnlyFans for Sale: From Lockdown Lifeline to Eight-Billion-Dollar Empire
Mayor’s Security Officer Implicated | Shocking New Details Emerge in NYC Kidnapping Case
Hegseth Warns of Potential Chinese Military Action Against Taiwan
OPEC+ Agrees to Increase Oil Output for Third Consecutive Month
Jamie Dimon Warns U.S. Bond Market Faces Pressure from Rising Debt
Turkey Detains Istanbul Officials Amid Anti-Corruption Crackdown
Taylor Swift Gains Ownership of Her First Six Albums
Bangkok Ranked World's Top City for Remote Work in 2025
Satirical Sketch Sparks Political Spouse Feud in South Korea
Indonesia Quarry Collapse Leaves Multiple Dead and Missing
South Korean Election Video Pulled Amid Misogyny Outcry
Asian Economies Shift Away from US Dollar Amid Trade Tensions
Netflix Investigates Allegations of On-Set Mistreatment in K-Drama Production
US Defence Chief Reaffirms Strong Ties with Singapore Amid Regional Tensions
Vietnam Faces Strategic Dilemma Over China's Mekong River Projects
Malaysia's First AI Preacher Sparks Debate on Islamic Principles
White House Press Secretary Criticizes Harvard Funding, Advocates for Vocational Training
France to Implement Nationwide Smoking Ban in Outdoor Spaces Frequented by Children
Meta and Anduril Collaborate on AI-Driven Military Augmented Reality Systems
Russia's Fossil Fuel Revenues Approach €900 Billion Since Ukraine Invasion
U.S. Justice Department Reduces American Bar Association's Role in Judicial Nominations
U.S. Department of Energy Unveils 'Doudna' Supercomputer to Advance AI Research
U.S. SEC Dismisses Lawsuit Against Binance Amid Regulatory Shift
Alcohol Industry Faces Increased Scrutiny Amid Health Concerns
×