The White House has issued a ban on personal mobile devices in the West Wing in what appears to be a belated attempt to avoid more damaging leaks from the Trump administration.
An official statement sent to various outlets briefly outlined the new policy:
“The security and integrity of the technology systems at the White House is a top priority for the Trump administration and therefore starting next week the use of all personal devices for both guests and staff will no longer be allowed in the West Wing. Staff will be able to conduct business on their government-issued devices and continue working hard on behalf of the American people.”
Many will question why the administration has decided to institute a ban now, nearly a year after Trump was sworn in.
However, it coincides with the release of explosive extracts from a new book by Michael Wolff alleging chaos and dysfunction at the heart of the US executive.
The journalist claims that no one in Trump’s inner circle, including the man himself, believed he would be elected or even wanted him to be.
One-time close adviser Steve Bannon is also said to have described Ivanka Trump as “dumb as a brick”, while the book apparently paints a picture of Trump as a president of “wide ranging ignorance”.
It should be added that the administration issued a statement dismissing the book as “filled with false and misleading accounts from individuals who have no access or influence with the White House.”
Reports suggest chief of staff John Kelly was behind the ban on personal phones, for security reasons rather than the repeated press leaks that have dogged the first year of the administration.
However, the important position of White House CISO remains unfilled after previous occupant Cory Louie was fired in February 2017.
Aides opposing the ban told Bloomberg that federal government-issued devices can’t be used for personal use, meaning they can’t be contacted by family during the day.