The Trump campaign has alleged that some of its internal communications were hacked, suggesting Iranian operatives were behind the breach. According to a report by US news website Politico, the campaign’s documents, including research on Trump’s vice presidential pick, Ohio Senator JD Vance, were obtained illegally and leaked.
“These documents were acquired from foreign sources hostile to the United States, with the intent to disrupt the 2024 election,” a campaign spokesperson told the BBC. Politico has confirmed the authenticity of the documents, but the BBC has yet to verify the claims independently.
The campaign did not provide specific details or evidence linking the hack to Iranian hackers or the Iranian government. This statement follows a Microsoft report released on Friday, which revealed that Iranian hackers had targeted the campaign of an unnamed US presidential candidate in June. Microsoft’s Threat Analysis Center (MTAC) reported that the hackers used spear phishing emails designed to appear legitimate and entice the recipient to click on malicious links.
“We have observed a notable increase in influence activities by Iranian actors in recent months,” the MTAC report stated. Trump campaign spokesperson Steven Cheung pointed out that the timing of the hacking attempt aligns with Trump’s recent selection of a vice presidential nominee. “The Iranians know President Trump will end their reign of terror, just as he did in his first term,” Cheung asserted.
Politico reported receiving emails in late July from an individual identified only as “Robert,” using an AOL email account. These emails contained a 271-page file on Vance, compiled from publicly available sources, and part of a research document on Florida Senator Marco Rubio, another potential vice presidential candidate. The research labeled some of Vance’s previous criticisms of Trump as “potential vulnerabilities.”
Microsoft’s report highlighted that Iranian cyber operations have been a persistent feature of recent US election cycles, noting similar activities during the 2020 election. Additionally, US security sources have warned of Iranian plots to assassinate Trump, although these threats are separate from a recent attempted shooting in Pennsylvania. On Tuesday, the US Department of Justice charged a Pakistani man with ties to Iran, accusing him of plotting to assassinate US officials, including the former president.
