President Donald Trump mistakenly dialed his estranged ex-national security adviser, H.R. McMaster, and what followed was nothing short of explosive. The phone call, which Trump clearly didn’t intend to make, quickly escalated into a heated exchange, leaving McMaster stunned and the former president fuming.
Trump, known for his fiery temper and volatile relationships, had recently criticized McMaster, labeling him a “weak and totally ineffective loser” on social media. This attack came just a day after McMaster’s appearance on CBS’ 60 Minutes, where he expressed doubts about Trump’s friendly approach to Russian President Vladimir Putin and questioned Putin’s true intentions in the ongoing war in Ukraine.
The mishap began when Trump picked up the phone and started the conversation with “Henry…”—but McMaster, whose first name is actually Herbert, quickly realized that Trump had dialed the wrong number. McMaster politely corrected the former president, saying, “Mr. President, this is H.R. McMaster,” only for Trump to snap back, “Why the f— would I talk to H.R. McMaster?” before launching into a barrage of insults. The call abruptly ended shortly afterward.
Trump had intended to call Governor Henry McMaster of South Carolina, whose name shares both a first initial and surname with the former national security adviser. In a typical Trump fashion, the conversation quickly became heated, further fueling tensions between the two.
When asked for comment, Trump’s communications director, Steven Cheung, didn’t hold back, calling McMaster’s recent book “filled with lies” and dismissing it as “fiction” found in the discount bookstore bargain bins. Cheung also took aim at McMaster’s reputation, which has taken a hit following his time in the Trump administration.
McMaster, a decorated lieutenant general, hasn’t held back in his own critiques of Trump, having previously described how the former president would pit allies against each other and often failed to recognize sound advice in favor of the praise of his loyalists.
