Trump Laments AT&T Call Disruptions: 'Unable to Effectively Operate Their Equipment'
In a recent turn of events, AT&T encountered technical difficulties during a major Conference Call with Faith Leaders organised by Donald Trump. The White House spokesperson, Karoline Leavitt, tweeted about the incident, and AT&T has since reached out to the White House to address the issue.
The telecommunications giant's share price, currently standing at $28.60, has seen a 1.8% increase on the day, but it remains unclear if this rise is directly related to the conference call issues.
The incident comes amidst the resurfacing of past controversies involving AT&T. In 2017, the company made 12 monthly payments totalling $600,000 to Essential Consultants, a company set up by Michael Cohen, who was President Trump's lawyer at the time. These payments were reportedly made to seek guidance related to AT&T's attempted $85 billion merger with Time Warner, gather information on the Trump administration's planned tax reforms, and about potential changes to net neutrality policies under the new FCC.
AT&T confirmed these payments and cooperated with the Special Counsel investigation led by Robert Mueller regarding the matter. The payments were made for business consultancy and lobbying-related activities tied to regulatory and legislative issues important to AT&T during Trump's presidency, especially concerning the major merger and regulatory environment.
It is essential to note that these payments are separate from the political contributions made by AT&T, including donations totaling $141,396 to Donald Trump as a candidate. AT&T also contributed $1 million to Trump's inauguration committee.
Donald Trump, in a post on his Truth Social platform, expressed his dissatisfaction with AT&T, stating that they do not seem to know what they are doing. This is not the first time Trump has criticised AT&T, having previously criticised the company during his first term, particularly when AT&T owned CNN.
John Stankey, the CEO of AT&T, was recently elected as the chairman of the board. The company is currently working to understand and assess the situation regarding the conference call issues and has vowed to ensure better service in the future.
The conference call with Faith Leaders may have to be rescheduled, and it is unclear if Trump's call issues are recurring or isolated incidents. Trump, in his Truth Social post, also attacked CNN host Abby Phillip, further escalating the tension between the President and some of the companies he has had business dealings with.
[1] Source: https://www.nytimes.com/2018/04/19/us/politics/att-mueller-cohen-trump.html [4] Source: https://www.opensecrets.org/politicians/summary.php?cid=N00001267&cycle=2020
- Amidst the ongoing political intrigue, Gizmodo reported on the future of tech giants like AT&T, highlighting their involvement in war-and-conflicts, policy-and-legislation, and general news.
- In the realm of politics, AT&T's recent technical difficulties during a Conference Call with Faith Leaders organised by Donald Trump are causing ripples, potentially impacting tech and car-accidents news.
- The tech titan's troubles come in the shadow of past controversies, such as the $600,000 paid to Michael Cohen in 2017 for business consultancy and lobbying-related activities, particularly concerning policy changes and legislation during Trump's presidency.
- Sports-betting and crime-and-justice sections have also been affected, with AT&T's political contributions to Donald Trump totaling $141,396 as a candidate and a $1 million donation to his inauguration committee.
- Fires of political dissent are still burning, with Trump expressing his dissatisfaction with AT&T on his Truth Social platform, while also attacking CNN host Abby Phillip, escalating tensions further.
- In the sports world, some see the latest AT&T scandal as another example of how technology and politics intertwine, with potentially far-reaching consequences.
- Despite these challenges, John Stankey, the CEO of AT&T, has been elected as the chairman of the board and is committed to addressing the conference call issues, ensuring better tech and service in the future.
