The White House has denied that the phone of President Trump's chief of staff, Susie Wiles, was hacked after United Kingdom Prime Minister Andy Burnham exchanged messages with an imposter. Four officials told Politico that Burnham communicated with someone posing as Wiles shortly after he assumed the role of Britain's Prime Minister at the end of July.
Downing Street stated that they do not comment on national security matters. However, the British embassy in Washington raised the issue with the White House, prompted by concerns that Wiles' phone may have been compromised for a second time. A White House official asserted that the incident was unrelated to any hacking of the Chief of Staff’s devices.
While a source described the text messages as limited and "of no significance," this is not the first time Wiles has been targeted by impersonators. In May of the previous year, the White House and the FBI initiated an investigation following a campaign where an imposter contacted prominent Republicans and business executives, pretending to be Wiles. Reports indicated that her personal cellphone, not her government device, was believed to have been hacked during that period. Those communications included voice calls, with officials suspecting the use of artificial intelligence to mimic Wiles' voice. No individuals have been publicly identified or charged in connection with that earlier impersonation effort.
The renewed security concerns arise amid heightened international tensions, including a protracted conflict with Iran following the collapse of ceasefire talks in early July. Reports last week indicated that Tehran planned to escalate attacks against the United States in the lead-up to the November midterm elections to exert pressure on President Trump.