Trump Struggles to Silence iPhone During Press Conference

President Donald Trump faced an awkward moment during a May 23, 2025, press conference in the Oval Office when his iPhone began ringing repeatedly. The event, intended to focus on nuclear energy and trade tariffs, was interrupted as Trump struggled to silence his phone, highlighting his ongoing difficulties with modern technology.

Trump’s attempts to manage the phone call were visibly clumsy. Initially, he swiped the screen to answer, which is not the correct gesture to silence a call. After setting the phone face-down, the device rang again shortly after, prompting Trump to press side buttons multiple times before successfully muting it. Throughout, he declined to reveal the callers’ identities, only mentioning they were Congressmen.

This incident is consistent with Trump’s long-standing reputation for being technologically challenged. Reports from previous years indicate he avoids email and texting, relying instead on dictation for tweets and eschewing computers for official work. His personal attorney confirmed he does not use email or texts and lacks a work computer.

Trump’s discomfort with technology extends beyond phones. He has made awkward public remarks about cryptocurrencies and automation, sometimes contradicting his own policies. For example, while threatening a 25% tariff on Apple for moving production to India, he cited automation as a reason factories could return to the U.S. without job losses—an oversimplification that ignores economic complexities.

The president’s focus on trade deficits as a zero-sum game further reveals a limited understanding of global economics. His frustration with Apple CEO Tim Cook over production shifts underscores a transactional approach that overlooks the nuanced realities of manufacturing, automation, and international supply chains.

This episode serves as a reminder that even leaders at the highest level can struggle with everyday technology, impacting their public image and communication effectiveness. It also highlights the importance of digital literacy in governance and the challenges posed when decision-makers lack fluency in modern tech.