Donald Trump still keeps his old phone around to give people an easy way to contact him, report claims

The President sees the unusual move as a 'small triumph' over the security apparatus

US President Donald Trump speaks on the phone with Russia's President Vladimir Putin from the Oval Office of the White House on January 28, 2017 (MANDEL NGAN/AFP/Getty Images)

Donald Trump is keeping his old number around to let people chat to him, according to reports.

The President has been issued with a Secret Service-approved phone meant to talk to people securely. But he sees that as a restriction and is so keeping his old number and phone, according to a new report from Axios.

Anyone calling Mr Trump's new number won't actually reach them. Instead, they either leave a voicemail message for him or he sees their number appear on his phone – when he does, he will call the person back on his officially issued number and get around the restrictions.

The President has long been keen on talking on the phone and used to work the number "with the avidity of a telemarketer", according to the Axios report. The system allows him to keep access to that old network outside of the White House.

As such, he sees his ability to keep using his old phone as a "small triumph" over the bureaucracy and security apparatus meant to rein him in.

Mr Trump was issued with his new secure phone at the same time as being inaugurated, as part of a process approved by the security services. But he has long been rumoured to have kept hold of his official device, too.

He uses that same phone to tweet from, it has been rumoured. Mr Trump has been issued with the official @POTUS account – but that is used by his team, and Mr Trump continues to tweet from his personal profile.