Comedian John Melendez tricks Donald Trump with prank call on Air Force One

President Donald Trump speaks to the press aboard Air Force One
AFP/Getty Images

An American comedian successfully tricked Donald Trump into taking a prank call while the US president was on board Air Force One.

John Melendez called the White House pretending to be Senator Bob Menendez, a Democrat from New Jersey.

The veteran performer, who goes by the stage name Stuttering John, said much to is surprise he received a call back from Mr Trump within an hour and a half.

He also said he spoke to the president's son-in-law, Jared Kushner.

The three minute conversation between Mr Melendez and Mr Trump was included in a podcast published on Thursday.

A White House official told CNN: "The President wants to be accessible to members and likes engaging them and wants them to have the opportunity to connect.

“The downside of that is sometimes the channels are open too widely and mistakes like this happen."

In the conversation, a voice that appears to be that of Mr Trump congratulates Mr Menendez, apparent referring to the resolution of a five-year corruption investigation into the New Jersey Democrat.

He says: “You went through a tough, tough situation, and I don’t think a very fair situation, but congratulations.”

The pair also talk about immigration, a hot topic in recent weeks due to fallout over the US government's controversial policy of separating migrant children from their parents.

Mr Trump says: “I want to be able to take care of the situation every bit as much as anybody else at the top level.

"I’d rather do the larger solution rather than the smaller solution.”

Discussing his upcoming Supreme Court nominee, the president adds that he will nominate a new judge from a “big list” in "10 to 14 days".

“I just could not believe that it took us an hour and a half to get Jared Kushner and Donald Trump on the phone from Air Force One," Mr Melendez told CNN.

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