Upcoming Trump Used to Pose as Own Spokesman: Report

Washington: A young and upcoming Donald Trump used to pose as his own publicist in the 1970s, 80s and 90s and used the names of "John Miller" or "John Barron", a leading American daily said on Friday.

Trump, 69, who is now the presumptive Republican presidential nominee, however, denied the allegations.

"A recording obtained by The Washington Post captures what New York reporters and editors who covered Trump's early career experienced in the 1970s, '80s and '90s: calls from Trump's Manhattan office that resulted in conversations with 'John Miller' or 'John Barron' -- public-relations men who sound precisely like Trump himself," the Washington Post said in a an investigative report.

They "indeed are Trump, masquerading as an unusually helpful and boastful advocate for himself, according to the journalists and several of Trump's top aides," it said.

The report comes two days after a top editor of The Washington Post said that they have created a team of 20 reporters to investigate on every aspects of Trump's life.

Trump has denied the allegations.

"It was not me on the phone. And it doesn't sound like me on the phone, I'll tell you that, and it was not me on the phone," Trump told NBC News.

The real estate tycoon alleged that this was like a scam.

"This sound like one of the scams, one of the many scams, doesn't sound like me. I don't think it was me, it doesn't sound like me," he said.

Digging past history and interviews of Trump, the Post said some reporters found the calls from Miller or Barron disturbing or even creepy while others thought they were just examples of Trump being playful.

"Today, as the presumptive Republican nominee for president faces questions about his attitudes toward women, what stands out to some who received those calls is Trump's characterisation of women who he portrayed as drawn to him sexually," the daily said.

"In 1990, Trump testified in a court case that 'I believe on occasion I used that name. He did not respond to a request for comment for this article," the daily said.

According to the daily, John Baron, described as a "vice-president of the Trump organisation" appeared in a front-page New York Times article as early as 1980.

Barron was quoted variously as a "Trump spokesman", "Trump executive" or "Trump representative" in New York magazine, The Washington Post and other publications, the major US daily said.