In a bizarre and tense episode reported by CBS News on Wednesday night, President Donald Trump accidentally phoned his estranged former National Security Adviser, H.R. McMaster—only to verbally attack him upon realizing the mistake.
According to the report, McMaster, who served as Trump’s National Security Adviser for just over a year before being dismissed, was stunned to receive the unexpected call. “McMaster, who had served as national security adviser during President Trump’s first term and was ousted after 13 months, was surprised to hear from Mr. Trump at all,” the outlet reported.
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The timing of the call raised eyebrows, as it came just one day after Trump had slammed McMaster on social media, calling him a “weak and totally ineffective loser.” McMaster had also appeared on CBS’s 60 Minutes that week, where he criticized Trump’s approach to Russian President Vladimir Putin and voiced doubts about Putin’s sincerity regarding peace in Ukraine.
The call began with Trump saying “Henry…” which McMaster, whose full name is Herbert Raymond McMaster, quickly realized was a mistake. “Mr. President, this is H.R. McMaster,” he responded. Trump’s reaction was explosive. “Why the f— would I talk to H.R. McMaster?” he snapped, before reportedly launching into a string of insults. The call ended soon after.
Trump had apparently intended to call South Carolina Governor Henry McMaster, who shares a surname and first initial with the former adviser. Asked for a response, Trump spokesperson Steven Cheung did not hold back, attacking McMaster personally rather than addressing the call.
“H.R. McMaster has completely beclowned himself and his third-rate book, which is now sold in the bargain bin of the fiction section of a discount bookstore, is filled with lies in a futile attempt to rehabilitate his tattered reputation,” Cheung said.
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McMaster, a retired lieutenant general with a decorated military career, has not shied away from criticizing Trump since leaving the White House. He has described the administration as chaotic and dysfunctional, accusing the president of encouraging internal conflict among staff and being more receptive to flattery than to sound strategic advice.
The mistaken call has added another strange chapter to the fraught relationship between Trump and McMaster, one marked by public insults, private tensions, and very little reconciliation. While both men have long moved on from their brief political partnership, this latest misstep serves as a reminder of the turbulent atmosphere that characterized Trump’s inner circle during his presidency.
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