USA

Trump Falls For Prank Call

FILE - U.S. President Donald Trump.

A comedian made a prank call to the White House and within two hours received a call back from President Trump who was on Air Force One.

John Melendez, the comedian, had told the White House he was Senator Bob Menendez, who is a Democrat from New Jersey.

Melendez, who is known as Stuttering John, said on his podcast that he talked to the president for about three minutes and never told Trump that he was not the senator.

The comedian said he has talked to Trump at least 20 times as Stuttering John on The Howard Stern radio show and could not believe Trump did not recognize his voice.

"I was just talking in my Long Island accent," he said.

In a recording of the conversation on the comedian's podcast, the president who thinks he is talking to the senator, offers his congratulations on the politician's acquittal in a bribery case.

Trump also talked about working together on an immigration bill. The comedian responded with "I am Hispanic."

Melendez told CNN, "All they had to ask me is what party affiliation is Senator Menendez or what state is he a senator of and I would not have known. But they didn't ask me any of this."

A White House official said the president wants to be "accessible to members" of Congress and sometimes "mistakes like this happen."