A mysterious caller who identified himself as “John Barron” called into C-SPAN and sent the internet into a frenzy. The caller launched into an angry rant about the Supreme Court’s decision to strike down President Trump’s tariffs, and his voice sounded strikingly similar to Trump’s.
The call happened right after the Supreme Court announced its ruling. C-SPAN host Greta Brawner brought on “John in Virginia, Republican,” but the caller quickly introduced himself as “John Barron.” He called the ruling “the worst decision you ever have in your life, practically,” criticized Hakeem Jeffries as “a dope,” and said Chuck Schumer “can’t cook a cheeseburger.” He added that “true Americans will not be happy” before Brawner cut him off.
According to Mediaite, the name “John Barron” is a well-known alias that Trump used to plant stories with journalists in the 1980s and 90s. That detail, combined with the caller’s voice, triggered an immediate wave of speculation on social media.
The viral call sparked strong reactions online, but C-SPAN confirmed it was not Trump
People on X were quick to respond. One person wrote, “The President of the United States called into a cable news show under a fake name to complain about how ‘unfair’ everyone is to him. You cannot make this s— up. He is unwell.”
Others were less certain it was actually Trump. The ruling itself has kept Trump busy, he has since named a favorite Supreme Court justice and signaled how he plans to fight back on tariffs. George Conway said, “If this is an impression, it’s the best I’ve ever heard.” Mehdi Hasan asked, “Surely it’s an impersonator, right? Right??”
Mike Nellis put it plainly: “I don’t think the guy calling in to C-SPAN is actually Trump. but what does it say about the president that none of us would even blink if he did something this stupid?” The Tennessee Holler added, “Either a great prank or the most pathetic phone call ever made, and the fact that we can’t tell which it is really says it all.”
C-SPAN then stepped in to clear things up. The network posted a statement on X saying, “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 confirmed that the call came from a central Virginia phone number, and that President Trump was at a White House meeting with governors at the time of the call. Trump has also been occupied with other major issues lately, including his $10 billion pledge at the Peace Board and what it could mean beyond Gaza. So “John Barron” was simply a very convincing prankster.
Published: Feb 23, 2026 02:45 pm