Who Is John Barron? Sleuths Think Trump Called Into C-SPAN
Who Is John Barron? Internet Sleuths Think Trump Called Into C-SPAN Using Fake Name
- C-SPAN denied the caller was Trump, but some remain skeptical of the denial.
Who is John Barron? That question began circulating widely after a caller using that name—whose voice bore a striking resemblance to President Donald Trump—phoned into C-SPAN on Feb. 20 to criticize the Supreme Court’s recent tariff decision.
Donald Trump has used the pseudonym “John Barron” in the past.
The name itself carries history. In 2016, The Washington Post reported that Trump had used “John Barron” as a pseudonym during the 1980s, occasionally posing as his own spokesperson when speaking to members of the media. So it’s no surprise that eyebrows were raised when a caller identified as John Barron appeared on C-SPAN’s Washington Journal on Feb. 20.
What happened during the C-SPAN broadcast?
The caller dialed in to denounce the Supreme Court’s 6-3 ruling that found the president lacks the authority to impose tariffs. Listeners quickly noted that the speaker’s cadence and tone closely mirrored Trump’s distinctive speaking style.
Introduced as a Republican from Virginia, Barron launched into criticism, calling it the “worst decision” the Supreme Court has ever made. His voice and phrasing sounded notably similar to the president’s.
“This is the worst decision you ever have in your life practically,” Barron said on C-SPAN.
He continued, “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.”
Greta Brawner, host of the Washington Journal, eventually cut off Barron and moved on to another caller.
C-SPAN confirms it wasn’t Donald Trump who dialed in during the show.
As speculation spread online, C-SPAN addressed the situation directly. In a statement posted to X on Feb. 22, the network denied that the caller was Trump and revealed that the call originated from a Virginia phone number.
“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 call came from a central Virginia phone number and came while the president was in a widely covered, in-person White House meeting with the governors. Tune into C-SPAN for the actual president at the State of the Union Address on Tuesday night.”
Still, that clarification didn’t put the speculation to rest for everyone. Some online sleuths quickly examined President Trump’s public schedule, noting that he was slated to hold a “private meeting” beginning at 10:30 a.m.—an event closed to the press.
According to the Huffington Post, the caller, who identified himself as John Barron, phoned C-SPAN at 10:51 a.m., prompting further debate among those questioning the network’s denial.
Looks like we’ll never truly know. Trump stopped using the John Barron alias after testifying under oath in 1990, according to The Washington Post, so this may remain a mystery unsolved.
Social media is convinced it was Trump who actually called in. See the reactions below.
