C-SPAN has finally put to rest the mystery surrounding a caller who identified himself as “John Barron” during one of the network’s shows last week. Rumors had quickly spread that President Donald Trump was secretly calling in under a pseudonym to voice his frustration over the Supreme Court’s decision to strike down much of his prized tariff policy. The caller, “John Barron,” didn’t just weigh in on the court ruling—he also took aim at a few notable politicians.
“And you have Hakeem Jeffries, he’s a dope, and you have Chuck Schumer, who can’t cook a cheeseburger,” Barron said on the air. “Of course, these people are happy, of course these people are happy. But true Americans will not be happy.” The call was abruptly ended by C-SPAN host Greta Brawner.
Social media erupted, with many pointing to a 2016 Washington Post article where Trump was linked to the John Barron persona from his earlier years. The 1980s saw Barron defend Trump against criticism, especially after the failure of Trump’s Trump Castle casino project. Barron argued that Trump had actually benefitted more from a real estate deal on Madison Avenue than his failed project.
Now, after a weekend of intense speculation, C-SPAN confirmed on X that the call did not come from the president. The network stated, “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.” C-SPAN explained that the call came from a Virginia phone number, while Trump was in a widely covered meeting with governors at the White House.
Despite the confirmation, the “John Barron” persona still seems to have a special place in Trump’s history. According to The Washington Post, Trump first used the name in the 1980s to defend his business moves. In 1984, Barron was quoted defending Trump’s decision to sell a Madison Avenue property rather than develop it into a casino. Barron claimed it was easier to get a large commission from a $105 million sale than to invest in building a property.
In 1985, Barron was quoted again, this time defending Trump’s decision to sign Doug Flutie for a football league, arguing that Trump should be reimbursed for the excess money spent on the player. Years later, under oath, Trump admitted to using the pseudonym, acknowledging that he did indeed use the name “John Barron” from time to time.
Although the C-SPAN caller wasn’t the president using the Barron name, the defense of Trump’s policies certainly fit the familiar pattern.