US president Donald Trump has been met with global ridicule this week, after sharing a glimpse at his mobile phone during a public appearance.
What began as a lighthearted joke at Trump's expense, however, has since developed into fully fledged concerns surrounding his security.
For those out of the loop on the 78-year-old's latest blunder, Trump hit headlines over the weekend after being papped climbing off Air Force One on Friday night, following a visit to a U.S. Steel plant near Pittsburgh.
While disembarking the presidential aircraft, the Republican leader could be seen holding his phone high up in the air as he waved to spectators on the ground.
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It was then that his telephone screen lit up, revealing what image Trump has chosen as his screensaver - alongside what appeared to be an email or text from political ally Roger Stone.
Somewhat unsurprisingly (sorry, Don), the screensaver was an image of his own face.
In the photo, Trump can be seen pointing down the camera lens intently - an odd choice for a selfie, we think.
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After the snap of the father-of-five subsequently went viral online, the president was mocked relentlessly, and even branded self-centred by some social media critics.
"Ahahahahaha. The most on-brand thing that ever on-branded. Trump's lock screen is, of course, a picture of Trump," one hit out.
Another went on to jibe: "Of course. Trump’s cell phone lock screen background image is a picture of himself."
They continued: "Not his wife, not his children, not his grandchildren… himself."
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"Trump’s lock screen was spotted on his phone last night - and it was a photo of himself," a third laughed.
However, the controversy has since prompted mass concern for Trump's safety, with security experts deeming his lock screen to be the least important issue.
It's his laissez-faire attitude to technology that has seemingly sparked worry, with the right-wing leader also notorious for taking calls from unknown numbers.
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According to a piece published earlier this week by The Atlantic: "Trump likes to call people. He likes to be called."
The publication report: "Unknown numbers come with a thrill akin to putting a coin in a gumball machine and waiting to see which flavor rolls out."
This certainly doesn't bode well - especially considering Trump was reportedly fooled by a Piers Morgan impersonator back in 2020, and two years earlier by a comedian pretending to be senator Bob Menendez.
The news outlet points out that Trump could also be deemed somewhat reckless when it comes to his social media usage, famously having fired out a shocking 2,262 Truth Social posts over a 132 day period.
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Someone take this man's phone away - or limit his screen time, at least!
Topics: Donald Trump, Politics, US News
Rhianna Benson