(AUDIO IN EXTENDED ARTICLE)
A prank caller talking to the leader of the world’s most powerful country aboard Air Force One? It’s apparently possible.
Posing as New Jersey Senator Robert Menendez, comedian John Melendez said he contacted President Donald Trump on Wednesday night while he was on the presidential plane.
Melendez aired a recording of the conversation on his “The Stuttering John Podcast,” in which a voice that appears to be Trump’s can be heard.
“You went through a tough, tough situation and I don’t think a very fair situation,” he said to the “senator,” who was investigated for corruption before the charges were eventually dropped.
Whether you’re a republican or democrat you should be truly scared by how easily I got through to the President. This is not partisan. It’s just plain scary.
— John Melendez (@stutteringjohnm) July 1, 2018
The two men then continued their conversation, moving from immigration to replacing Justice Anthony Kennedy, who is set to retire from the US Supreme Court.
The comedian said he called the White House pretending to be an aide to the senator and was ultimately put in touch with the president on Air Force One, in a scenario that raises questions about protocol governing access to the commander in chief.
The White House did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
Secret Service at my door. I guess my old friend Donald wants to continue this. Stay tuned.
— John Melendez (@stutteringjohnm) June 30, 2018
Sectret service about to arrest me. Unbelievable! They should arrest Jared Kushner for putting the call through, shame on Donald Trump who has been a friend of mine for years.
— John Melendez (@stutteringjohnm) June 30, 2018
Secret Servive is knocking. Unbelievable.
— John Melendez (@stutteringjohnm) June 30, 2018
I’m
Not answering the door.— John Melendez (@stutteringjohnm) June 30, 2018
Alright, I didn’t answer & they have left, but my neighbors said they showed their badges.
— John Melendez (@stutteringjohnm) June 30, 2018
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10 Responses
A. Lock this guy up. It should be illegal to prank the president.
B. The protocol for transferring calls should be looked into.
If you thought this guy was a rocket scientist, and couldn’t recognize the voice of Sen . Menendez and the absurdity of the script the comedian was using, perhaps reconsider. If you thought his frum son-in-law was the real talmid chacham in the family but nonetheless arranged for the call to be put through to air force one also reconsider. What is the most stupid of all is their keeping the story alive by sending the secret service after the comedian.
Do you recall the former Senator from Virginia who was voted the dumbest member of Congress in the Washingtonian magazine poll about 12 years ago and then called a news conference to deny it?
I remember when someone (Jacintha Saldanha) literally committed suicide because of a similar prank – Jacintha Saldanha had put the prankster (who impersonated the Queen) through to the nurse.
And then the prankster who impersonated Canada’s Prime Minister Harper was put through to U.N. Secretary General Ban Ki-moon during a week where Moon had scheduled more than 120 (literally) meetings with world leaders in just one week.
And so forth.
Beyond our means- why is it illegal to prank cal our prez???
Wow. This was a conversation Trump thought was private and with what he thought was someone on his side.
In this conversation you hear Trump is truly out for the country and is really genuine about building this country.
Im gonna miss him when his 8 years are up
It is ilegal to record a phone conversation with out the other party’s knowledge.
Recording is a civil not criminal violation.
BOM: I believe that varies from state to state. Federal law permits recording telephone calls and in-person conversations with the consent of at least one of the parties. See 18 U.S.C. 2511(2)(d). This is called a “one-party consent” law. Under a one-party consent law, you can record a phone call or conversation so long as you are a party to the conversation.
> Joseph
“Recording is a civil not criminal violation.”
But the “”lawyers” web site states:
“The Act provides criminal and civil penalties for violations”
Other web site put the caller in California. California is a two-party consent law. As such, since Trump did not know he was being recorded, the caller “probably” violated California law (I suppose one can spin the question as to whether both parties have to be in the same State, but I see the fact that the recording was taking place in California as making California law, not the location of Trump,as the deciding factor And even s the President is recorded at all times by security, I think the recording is “private” under security law and as such “reasonable expectation” of privacy still exists.)