As the Donald Trump presidency approaches the one-year mark, the White House now says it plans to crack down on the use of “all personal devices,” and the policy is expected to be implemented as quickly as next week.
“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,” White House Press Secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders said in a statement on Thursday morning.
Sanders continued, “Staff will be able to conduct business on their government-issued devices and continue working hard on behalf of the American people.”
The announcement of the new policy came just after excerpts of an explosive new book written by Michael Wolff were released, which has stirred controversy inside the White House. The White House “has long toyed with banning personal phones, but some staffers have raised objections, arguing that they need their personal devices to keep in contact with their children and other family members,” Politico reported.
In October, it was revealed that Chief of Staff John Kelly’s phone — a personal device — was believed to have been compromised as far back as December 2016, as Salon previously reported.
But still, the timing is quite coincidental, and the White House has cited “security concerns” as its reason for enforcing the policy. It was also announced on Wednesday morning that a Trump lawyer has made efforts to block Wolff’s book from being released. Charles J. Harder ordered the book’s publisher, Henry Holt & Co., to “immediately cease and desist from any further publication, release or dissemination of the book.”
It’s been speculated the threat could just be a bluff.
Trump lawyer sending letter to Bannon is Charles Harder, Who had repped Weinstein and was brought on to file suit against NYT that Weinstein threatened and never filed.
— Maggie Haberman (@maggieNYT) January 4, 2018
Nonetheless, Twitter rapidly reacted to the announcement of the new policy.
On a tour of Pentagon last year, I was obliged to leave my cell and iPad in boxes at various stops along the hallways. Not sure if this is reaction to Wolff or catching up to reality of threat of technologically compromised devices draining data.
— Hugh Hewitt (@hughhewitt) January 4, 2018
As of next week, West Wing staffers have been told they can’t use personal cell phones anymore per multiple aides. They were told this early in the term but it’s now being enforced, with security concerns being cited.
— Maggie Haberman (@maggieNYT) January 4, 2018
It seems to me there's another way to settle this: Release the White House visitors logs.
— Gregory Korte (@gregorykorte) January 3, 2018
White House banning use of personal electronic devices for staff and guests in West Wing..on heels of threatening to sue Steve Bannon to keep him quiet https://t.co/mq1tkd6IbY
— Jayne Miller (@jemillerbalt) January 4, 2018
Sarah Sanders issued a statement that "all personal devices for both guests and staff will no longer be allowed in the West Wing."
The only cell phone damaging this administration is the one Donald Trump tweets from.
— Nick Jack Pappas (@Pappiness) January 4, 2018
Ah, yes, because the real problem has been the personal devices of literally everyone but the president. https://t.co/Hx7FpnzGTd
— Samantha Bee (@realsambee) January 4, 2018
I hope none of those personal devices were connected to private email, because everyone knows the political class takes that kind of thing very seriously. https://t.co/efn2FHUlLU
— Brian Beutler (@brianbeutler) January 4, 2018
