Don’t Worry, America: The 3 A.M. Phone Call Is a Myth
Fears of Trump’s amateurism have revived Hillary’s most famous ad. In truth, the president is almost never awakened at that hour.
By Tevi Troy
September 10, 2016
Widespread concern over Donald Trump’s readiness to be president has revived memories of Hillary Clinton’s most lasting contribution to political advertising, her famous 2008 spot that depicted children sleeping soundly in their beds late at night with a voiceover saying that, at that moment, “something is happening in the world.” “Your vote will decide who answers that call,” the stentorian voice intones. Though Clinton lost that race, the meme lived on: Even a recent episode of the Simpsons did a hilarious bit on the ad, with the Trump character taking so long to primp himself for a national security meeting (including placing a little dog on his head for hair) after his 3 a.m. phone call that he misses the crisis.
Few ads have ever so successfully distilled the responsibilities of the president in a time of “clear and present danger.” Yet as a former White House aide and presidential historian, I have to say that it’s mostly myth to think that any president is ever asked to make such critical decisions in the middle of the night. First, even if there is a crisis, the wakeups are often unnecessary. A national security adviser may feel obligated to wake a president with bad or unexpected news, but there is usually little that can or must be done by the president that would warrant awakening the commander in chief.
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http://www.politico.com/magazine/story/2016/09/3am-phone-call-myth-trump-214208
