'I know he's watching television because he's calling me five minutes after': Republicans go on TV - then they get a call from Trump

• Every day, Republicans go on television in a never-ending cycle of cable news.
• Sometimes, they get a surprising call: from the president of the United States.
• At least four members of Congress told Business Insider they've heard from President Donald Trump after a cable-news hit.

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After one of freshman Republican Rep. Matt Gaetz's first appearances on cable news, he got a call from someone offering some advice.

"Don't let people talk over you," President Donald Trump told Gaetz, the congressman recalled in a recent interview.

From one of his biggest fans, Gaetz has received compliments on a new haircut, backup on an argument, or pointers on his presence.

"He did make mention of the fact that he thought I had found a calling in television, which is high praise from someone who found a calling in television," Gaetz told Business Insider.

Gaetz was one of four Republican members of Congress who told Business Insider that Trump often likes to give them a call moments after they appear on cable news.

It is no secret that the president is a frequent consumer of the medium. A quick peek at his Twitter feed on any given day shows him often reacting to a segment on the "Fox & Friends" morning show, promoting a Fox News host's program or upcoming interview on the network, or slamming coverage from competing outlets like CNN.

The New York Times reported in December that Trump spends between four and eight hours a day watching television, though he has insisted that he does "not watch much television."

"I know he's watching television because he's calling me five minutes after a CNN interview and MSNBC interviews and Fox interviews," said one Republican member of Congress, who requested anonymity to speak freely with reporters at a recent lunch.

The member recalled having spoken to Trump more in a year than he did with either former Presidents George W. Bush or Barack Obama throughout their entire presidencies.

"I mean, so he's watching and he immediately engages," the member said.

Gaetz, a freshman congressman who has seen his profile grow in recent months, said he often hears from Trump following one of his television appearances.

After a recent appearance on "Fox & Friends," he said, Trump called him to give him a compliment - courtesy of first lady Melania Trump.

"One of the last times I spoke with the president, he said Melania had seen me on 'Fox & Friends' and she told him there was this really handsome guy on television talking about him," he said.

The White House did not respond to requests for comment for this story. A spokeswoman for the first lady also did not respond to a request for comment.

'He didn't think that was a compliment'

Republican Sen. David Perdue of Georgia also told Business Insider that Trump likes to give him a call following a TV appearance.

For Perdue, it extends beyond television as well. In a New York Times article last year, Perdue compared Trump to former United Kingdom Prime Minister Winston Churchill, saying that like the legendary leader from World War II, Trump is " nobody's choir boy" and "is a historic person of destiny at a time and place in America when we've got to make a right-hand turn here."

"And so he saw that New York Times article - he called me up and said, 'So you think I'm like Churchill?'" Perdue said. "He didn't think that was a compliment."

Republican Sen. Lindsey Graham of South Carolina also Business Insider that he has gotten a call from the president after making a TV appearance, though he said it's only happened once.

"It was good. He said, 'You did great,'" Graham said. "Can't remember the show, but he did it one time."

There is one group of prominent television guests that do not appear to be on the president's call list: Democrats. A spokesman for Democratic Rep. Eric Swalwell of California, who often appears on cable news to discuss the Russia investigation, said the congressman has not received any calls from the president.

Swalwell said his message to the president is simple: "Call me on my cell phone."