White House investigates leaks of Trump
calls to Australia, Mexico
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[February 04, 2017]
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The White
House is looking into how embarrassing details of President Donald
Trump's recent tense phone conversations with his counterparts in
Australia and Mexico were leaked to news organizations, White House
spokesman Sean Spicer said on Fox News Channel.
"The president takes these leaks very seriously," Spicer said in an
interview with Fox News Channel, which on Friday provided a transcript
of a segment set to air on Saturday.
Trump cut short a phone call with Australian Prime Minister Malcolm
Turnbull after an acrimonious discussion about a refugee swap deal, a
conversation that threatened ties between the two allies after details
appeared in The Washington Post.
In an earlier call with Mexican President Enrique Pena Nieto about
paying for a wall on the southern U.S. border, Trump said he might send
the U.S. military to Mexico to stop drug cartels - details from a
transcript obtained by a Mexican news organization Aristegui Noticias
and the Associated Press. The White House later said the comments were
meant to be lighthearted.
"That’s troubling and I think the president has asked the team to look
into this because those are very serious implications," Spicer said.
Spicer described the conversations as "candid" but respectful, and has
noted that both the Australian and Mexican governments have disputed
some of the details.
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![](../images/020417pics/news_s33.jpg)
President Donald Trump (L), seated at his desk with National
Security Advisor Michael Flynn (2nd R) and senior advisor Steve
Bannon (R), speaks by phone with Australia's Prime Minister Malcolm
Turnbull in the Oval Office at the White House in Washington, U.S.
January 28, 2017. REUTERS/Jonathan Ernst
![](http://archives.lincolndailynews.com/2017/Feb/04/images/ads/current/Symphony_lda_2017.png)
White House officials did not respond to requests for comment on the
investigation into the leaks.
Trump told politicians and faith leaders at a prayer breakfast that
he was having difficult conversations with world leaders as he
worked to overhaul immigration rules.
"Believe me, when you hear about the tough phone calls I'm having -
don't worry about it. Just don't worry about it," Trump told the
leaders.
(Reporting by Roberta Rampton; Editing by James Dalgleish)
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