C-SPAN has shut down speculation that President Donald Trump called into the cable network to complain about the Supreme Court.
A caller using Trump’s regular alias, “John Barron,” called C-SPAN’s Washington Journal on Friday morning.
The soundalike ranted in a Trumpian tone, stating, “This is the worst decision you ever have in your life practically,” in relation to the Supreme Court’s ruling against the president’s tariffs.
“This is a terrible decision, and you have Hakeem Jeffries, who… he’s a dope. And you have Chuck Schumer, who can’t cook a cheeseburger. Of course these people are happy. Of course these people are happy. But true Americans will not be happy.”
The caller, who identified himself as John Barron, a Republican from Virginia, was cut off by host Greta Brawner. The call came during a segment that airs opinions from viewers.
C-SPAN commented on the mystery caller in a social media post on Sunday, debunking the suggestion that the president was on the line.
“Because so many of you are talking about Friday’s C-SPAN caller who identified himself as ‘John Barron,’ we want to put this to rest: it was not the president.”
The post clarified the call came from a central Virginia phone number and occurred “while the president was in a widely covered, in-person White-House meeting with the governors.”
Barron made his brief call to C-SPAN at 10:51 a.m Friday. According to the president’s public schedule, Trump met with governors at 9:30 a.m.
The Supreme Court’s 6-3 decision came down about 30 minutes into that governors’ breakfast, with conservatives Chief Justice John Roberts, Neil Gorsuch and Amy Coney Barrett turning against Trump.
Trump then had a “private meeting” that began at 10:30 a.m and was not open to the press. He began his press briefing on the Supreme Court decisions at 12:30 p.m.
The Daily Beast has contacted the White House for comment.
During his fiery Friday press briefing, President Trump had a similar opinion as the mysterious John Barron, stating the Supreme Court’s ruling on tariffs was “deeply disappointing.”
He said the justices who ruled against him are “lap dogs,” a “disgrace to our nation,” and “disloyal to the Constitution.”
“I’m ashamed of certain members of the Court—absolutely ashamed for not having the courage to do what’s right for our country,” Trump said.
Trump was reportedly fired up after the decision, dropping F-bombs.
Trump used the alias “John Barron” when he would call the media in the 1980s. He claimed Barron was Trump’s spokesperson, according to a report in The Washington Post.
He recycled the name for his youngest son, born in 2006.
Trump biographer Michael D’Antonio claimed the president borrowed the fake spokesperson ruse from his father, Fred, who sometimes posed as “Mr. Green.”
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