The campaign of Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump has claimed that it was hacked, accusing Iran of being behind the breach.
The announcement was made on Saturday, just days after Microsoft reported an increase in online activities by Iran aimed at influencing the upcoming U.S. election.
Steven Cheung, a spokesperson for Trump’s campaign, addressed the issue following a report from Politico stating that the outlet had received anonymous emails containing internal campaign documents.
Cheung linked the breach to a Microsoft report released on Friday, which indicated that a U.S. presidential campaign had been targeted in a phishing attack in June 2024.
“These documents were obtained illegally from foreign sources hostile to the United States, intended to interfere with the 2024 election and sow chaos throughout our democratic process,” Cheung said in a statement.
He further noted that the hack coincided with the timing of Trump’s selection of a vice-presidential nominee, pointing to Iran as the likely culprit. “The Iranians know that President Trump will stop their reign of terror just like he did in his first four years in the White House,” he added.
However, Cheung did not provide additional details to substantiate Iran’s involvement. He also mentioned that the hack followed reports of an Iranian plot to assassinate Trump, referencing the July 13 incident in Butler, Pennsylvania, where Trump was wounded during an assassination attempt at a rally.
According to Politico, the publication began receiving emails on July 22 from someone claiming to be a “senior Trump campaign official.” These emails contained vetting documents related to Trump’s vice-presidential pick, Ohio Senator JD Vance. The dated February documents detailed Vance’s record and highlighted potential vulnerabilities. Insiders confirmed the authenticity of the documents.
The anonymous sender, using an AOL account and identifying only as “Robert,” declined to reveal how he obtained the sensitive materials, offering an ominous warning:
“Don’t be curious about where I got them from. Any answer to this question will compromise me and legally restrict you from publishing them,” Politico reported.
U.S. intelligence has reportedly been gathering increasing evidence that Iran has been planning retaliation against Trump related to the 2020 assassination of Qassem Soleimani, the leader of Iran’s elite Quds Force. Trump had ordered the strike, citing Soleimani’s role in orchestrating attacks on U.S. troops in the Middle East.
Iran has denied allegations of engaging in online efforts to interfere in the U.S. election.
The Microsoft report also noted that Iranian hackers had breached the account of a “high-ranking official” in a U.S. presidential campaign in June 2024.
Additionally, the report mentioned that Iran has been creating fake news sites and impersonating activists in attempts to sway voters, particularly in swing states. The specifics of which the official’s account was hacked were not disclosed.
