Will Trump give up cell phone?

WASHINGTON — A few hours after President-elect Donald Trump was briefed by intelligence officials about Russian meddling in the election, an Associated Press reporter called his cell phone seeking an interview.

The call went to voice mail and the reporter did not leave a message. About an hour later, Trump called back.

It’s hard to imagine many politicians — particularly one about to become president of the United States — calling back an unknown number on their cell phone.

With Trump, it’s simply how business gets done, whether he’s fielding calls from real estate partners and longtime friends or foreign leaders and congressional lawmakers in the weeks after the election.

But as Trump prepares to take the oath of office Friday, the future of his ever-present Android smartphone is now a matter of national security. President Obama, the nation’s first cell phonetoting president, gave up both his number and device when he took office in exchange for a BlackBerry heavily modified for security purposes. Security agencies want Trump to do the same.

But the president-elect has bristled at the prospect of trading in his lifeline to the world — and to Twitter — and has suggested to friends that he plans to keep it.

Spokeswoman Hope Hicks wouldn’t say whether Trump plans to keep his phone after the inauguration.