What's Trump's Phone Number Worth?

"The White House has received reports in recent weeks that President Trump's personal phone number has been offered for sale to deep-pocketed interests seeking influence. 'It's honestly just wild,' one of them said. 'I've heard of CEOs offering money for his number. I've heard of crypto bros offering cryptocurrency for it.'"

"So many people now call Trump on his private iPhone that his advisers have stopped trying to keep track. Sometimes in meetings, he will leave his phone face up, allowing staff to gawk at the flashing notifications of incoming or missed calls that pile up on his screen. 'It is literally call after reporter call,' the first official said. 'It is just boom, boom, boom.'"

"The incoming calls get particularly intense after a journalist successfully catches the president and then publishes a mini-scoop on what he says. It's like flashing a Bat-Signal: Trump may be idle and chatty. Assignment editors suddenly ask: If it is so easy for the competition to get a scoop, why can't their reporters do the same, and stat?"

President Trump's personal phone number has transformed into Washington's most valuable commodity during his second term. Initially closely guarded, the number is now widely distributed among journalists and sought by wealthy interests offering substantial payments and cryptocurrency for access. The proliferation of callers has overwhelmed the president's advisers, who have abandoned efforts to track incoming calls. Trump frequently leaves his phone visible during meetings, displaying constant incoming calls and notifications. When journalists successfully reach the president and publish scoops based on his comments, it triggers competitive frenzy among news organizations, with assignment editors pressuring reporters to obtain similar access. This dynamic has created significant operational challenges for the administration.

Read at The Atlantic