Fox & Friends Jokes About Trump's Unsecured Phone Despite Media Reports That It's A Security Threat

Experts Say Hackers Could Track Phone, Turn On Camera And Microphone

Written by Media Matters Staff

Published

Fox & Friends co-hosts Steve Doocy and Brian Kilmeade joked about President Donald Trump's use of an unsecured Android phone in the White House, even though security experts say it's risky. Multiple reports have called the move “very risky” and “a matter of national security,” along with noting that Trump is “leaving himself exposed to all manner of unsavory outcomes,” such as not being “protected against phishing attacks or malware.” The New York Times also specifically noted that the device could be vulnerable to tracking and that hackers could turn on its camera and microphone. During the 2016 campaign, Fox & Friends, and Fox in general, repeatedly scandalized Democratic nominee Hillary Clinton's use of a “hackable [email] server.” From the January 26 edition of Fox News' Fox & Friends:

STEVE DOOCY (CO-HOST): [Donald Trump] has been in the White House since Friday, and he was asked by a reporter what he really likes about the White House. He says the White House is really elegant. And you know what he loves? He loves the phones. He says they have beautiful phones. These are the super encrypted phones. They're beautiful, and he loves the fact that there are all these boardrooms. Keep in mind he's a CEO. He loves -- I've got all these boardrooms we can have meetings in. How great is that? 

BRIAN KILMEADE (CO-HOST): It just so happens that you name them after presidents. But the other thing I think that's interesting is he still has his Android phone, and the Secret Service is, like, “should we let him keep that?” Because you could hack into that Android phone because it's --

DOOCY: It's easy. I mean I could hack into his phone if I knew how to. 

KILMEADE: Right. Absolutely.