New findings by U.S. intelligence agencies show that Russian and Chinese spies routinely listen on President Donald Trump’s calls to associates made on his private cell phone. They then use the information gathered in this manner to manipulate the President into changing certain administration policies.
The New York Times reports that Trump’s aides have regularly warned him about foreign actors spying on his calls, while security experts have often raised concerns over the President’s cell phone use during his tenure.
A number of current and former officials have detailed President Trump’s use of his iPhones, which he refuses to give up, lamenting his casual approach to electronic security. They added that intelligence agencies have learned of the Russian and Chinese eavesdropping from human sources inside foreign governments.
Citing the officials, who spoke on condition of anonymity, the Times writes that China is seeking to use information about Trump’s way of thinking and inclinations obtained from spying on his calls to keep a trade war with the United States from escalating further. The Chinese are further hoping to use people to whom the President speaks regularly in order to influence him by delivering Beijing’s views to friends of his friends in hopes that these views would eventually reach the President.
According to a former official, the Russian influence effort seems to be simpler due to Trump’s apparent affinity for President Vladimir Putin.
The Chinese and the Russians “would look for any little thing — how easily was he talked out of something, what was the argument that was used,” said John Sipher, a 28-year veteran of the Central Intelligence Agency and former head of the agency’s Russia program.
The Chinese end goal is for President Trump to sit down with China’s Xi Jinping as they have perceived that personal relationships are greatly valued by Trump and most often result with breakthroughs as compared to what regular contacts between Chinese and American officials usually yield.
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