Beautiful Virgin Islands

Wednesday, Aug 27, 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
Spotify’s Strange Move: The Feature Nobody Asked For – Returns
Manhunt in Australia: Armed Anti-Government Suspect Kills Police Officers Sent to Arrest Him
China Launches World’s Most Powerful Neutrino Detector
How Beijing-Linked Networks Shape Elections in New York City
Ukrainian Refugee Iryna Zarutska Fled War To US, Stabbed To Death
Elon Musk Sues Apple and OpenAI Over Alleged App Store Monopoly
2 Australian Police Shot Dead In Encounter In Rural Victoria State
Vietnam Evacuates Hundreds of Thousands as Typhoon Kajiki Strikes; China’s Sanya Shuts Down
UK Government Delays Decision on China’s Proposed London Embassy Amid Concerns Over Redacted Plans
A 150-Year Tradition to Be Abolished? Uproar Over the Popular Central Park Attraction
A new faith called Robotheism claims artificial intelligence isn’t just smart but actually God itself
Deputy Prime Minister Angela Rayner Purchases Third Property Amid Housing Tax Reforms Debate
HSBC Switzerland Ends Relationships with Over 1,000 Clients from Saudi Arabia, Lebanon, Qatar, and Egypt
Sharia Law Made Legally Binding in Austria Despite Warnings Over 'Incompatible' Values
Italian Facebook Group Sharing Intimate Images Without Consent Shut Down Amid Police Investigation
Dutch Foreign Minister Resigns Amid Deadlock Over Israel Sanctions
Trump and Allies Send Messages of Support to Ukraine on Independence Day Amid Ongoing Conflict
China Reels as Telegram Chat Group Shares Hidden-Camera Footage of Women and Children
Sam Nicoresti becomes first transgender comedian to win Edinburgh Comedy Award
Builders uncover historic human remains in Lancashire house renovation
Australia Wants to Tax Your Empty Bedrooms
MotoGP Cameraman Narrowly Avoids Pedro Acosta Crash at Hungarian Grand Prix
FBI Investigates John Bolton Over Classified Documents in High-Profile Raids
Report reveals OpenAI pitched national ChatGPT Plus subscription to UK ministers
Labour set to freeze income tax thresholds in long-term 'stealth' tax raid
Coca‑Cola explores sale of Costa coffee chain
Trial hears dog walker was chased and fatally stabbed by trio
Restaurateur resigns from government hospitality council over tax criticism
Spanish City funfair shut after serious ride injury
Suspected arson at Ilford restaurant leaves three in critical condition
Tottenham beat Manchester City to go top of Premier League
Bank holiday heatwave to hit 30°C before remnants of Hurricane Erin arrive
UK to deploy immigration advisers to West Africa to block fake visas
Nurse who raped woman continued working for a year despite police alert
Drought forces closures of England’s canal routes, canceling boat holidays
Sweet tooth scents: food-inspired perfumes surge as weight-loss drugs suppress appetites
Experts warn Britain dangerously reliant on imported food
Family of Notting Hill Carnival murder victim call event unmanageable
Bunkers, Billions and Apocalypse: The Secret Compounds of Zuckerberg and the Tech Giants
Ukraine Declares De Facto War on Hungary and Slovakia with Terror Drone Strikes on Their Gas Lifeline
Animated K-pop Musical ‘KPop Demon Hunters’ Becomes Netflix’s Most-Watched Original Animated Film
New York Appeals Court Voids Nearly $500 Million Civil Fraud Penalty Against Trump While Upholding Fraud Liability
Elon Musk tweeted, “Europe is dying”
Far-Right Activist Convicted of Incitement Changes Gender and Demands: "Send Me to a Women’s Prison" | The Storm in Germany
Hungary Criticizes Ukraine: "Violating Our Sovereignty"
Will this be the first country to return to negative interest rates?
Child-free hotels spark controversy
North Korea is where this 95-year-old wants to die. South Korea won’t let him go. Is this our ally or a human rights enemy?
Hong Kong Launches Regulatory Regime and Trials for HKD-Backed Stablecoins
China rehearses September 3 Victory Day parade as imagery points to ‘loyal wingman’ FH-97 family presence
×