London Daily

Focus on the big picture.
Monday, Sep 15, 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

0:00
0:00
Close
London Daily Podcast: London Massive Pro Democracy Rally, Musk Support, UK Economic Data and Premier League Results Mark Eventful Weekend
This Week in AI: Meta’s Superintelligence Push, xAI’s Ten Billion-Dollar Raise, Genesis AI’s Robotics Ambitions, Microsoft Restructuring, Amazon’s Million-Robot Milestone, and Google’s AlphaGenome Update
Le Pen Tightens the Pressure on Macron as France Edges Toward Political Breakdown
Musk calls for new UK government at huge pro-democracy rally in London, but Britons have been brainwashed to obey instead of fighting for their human rights
Elon Musk responds to post calling for the murder of Erika Kirk, widow of Charlie Kirk: 'Either we fight back or they will kill us'
Czech Republic signs €1.34 billion contract for Leopard 2A8 main battle tanks with delivery from 2028
USA: Office Depot Employees Refused to Print Poster in Memory of Charlie Kirk – and Were Fired
Proposed U.S. Bill Would Allow Civil Suits Against Judges Who Release Repeat Violent Offenders
Penske Media Sues Google Over “AI Overviews,” Claiming It Uses Journalism Without Consent and Destroys Traffic
Indian Student Engineers Propose “Project REBIRTH” to Protect Aircraft from Crashes Using AI, Airbags and Smart Materials
French Debt Downgrade Piles Pressure on Macron’s New Prime Minister
US and UK Near Tech, Nuclear and Whisky Deals Ahead of Trump Trip
One in Three Europeans Now Uses TikTok, According to the Chinese Tech Giant
Could AI Nursing Robots Help Healthcare Staffing Shortages?
NATO Deploys ‘Eastern Sentry’ After Russian Drones Violate Polish Airspace
Anesthesiologist Left Operation Mid-Surgery to Have Sex with Nurse
Tens of Thousands of Young Chinese Get Up Every Morning and Go to Work Where They Do Nothing
The New Life of Novak Djokovic
The German Owner of Politico Mathias Döpfner Eyes Further U.S. Media Expansion After Axel Springer Restructuring
Suspect Arrested: Utah Man in Custody for Charlie Kirk’s Fatal Shooting
In a politically motivated trial: Bolsonaro Sentenced to 27 Years for Plotting Coup After 2022 Defeat
German police raid AfD lawmaker’s offices in inquiry over Chinese payments
Turkish authorities seize leading broadcaster amid fraud and tax investigation
Volkswagen launches aggressive strategy to fend off Chinese challenge in Europe’s EV market
ChatGPT CEO signals policy to alert authorities over suicidal youth after teen’s death
The British legal mafia hit back: Banksy mural of judge beating protester is scrubbed from London court
Surpassing Musk: Larry Ellison becomes the richest man in the world
Embarrassment for Starmer: He fired the ambassador photographed on Epstein’s 'pedophile island'
Manhunt after 'skilled sniper' shot Charlie Kirk. Footage: Suspect running on rooftop during panic
Effective Protest Results: Nepal’s Prime Minister Resigns as Youth-Led Unrest Shakes the Nation
Qatari prime minister says Netanyahu ‘killed any hope’ for Israeli hostages
King Charles and Prince Harry Share First In-Person Moment in 19 Months
Starmer Establishes Economic ‘Budget Board’ to Centralise Policy and Rebuild Business Trust
France Erupts in Mass ‘Block Everything’ Protests on New PM’s First Day
Poland Shoots Down Russian Drones in Airspace Violation During Ukraine Attack
Brazilian police say ex-President Bolsonaro had planned to flee to Argentina seeking asylum
Trinidad Leader Applauds U.S. Naval Strike and Advocates Forceful Action Against Traffickers
Kim Jong Un Oversees Final Test of New High-Thrust Solid-Fuel Rocket Engine
Apple Introduces Ultra-Thin iPhone Air, Enhanced 17 Series and New Health-Focused Wearables
Macron Appoints Sébastien Lecornu as Prime Minister Amid Budget Crisis and Political Turmoil
Supreme Court temporarily allows Trump to pause billions in foreign aid
Charlie Sheen says his father, Martin Sheen, turned him in to the police: 'The greatest betrayal possible'
Vatican hosts first Catholic LGBTQ pilgrimage
Apple Unveils iPhone 17 Series, iPhone Air, Apple Watch 11 and More at 'Awe Dropping' Event
Pig Heads Left Outside Multiple Paris Mosques in Outrage-Inducing Acts
Nvidia’s ‘Wow’ Factor Is Fading. The AI chip giant used to beat Wall Street expectations for earnings by a substantial margin. That trajectory is coming down to earth.
France joins Eurozone’s ‘periphery’ as turmoil deepens, say investors
On the Anniversary of Queen Elizabeth’s Death: Prince Harry Returns to Britain
France Faces New Political Crisis, again, as Prime Minister Bayrou Pushed Out
Murdoch Family Finalises $3.3 Billion Succession Pact, Ensuring Eldest Son’s Leadership
×