By Daily Mail (U.S.) | Created at 2026-08-17 13:47:15 | Updated at 2026-08-17 14:08:46
27 minutes ago
The White House has denied that Susie Wiles' phone was hacked after UK Prime Minister Andy Burnham exchanged messages with an imposter.
Burnham communicated with someone posing as Donald Trump's chief of staff shortly after he became Britain's PM at the end of July, four officials told Politico.
It is not clear what was said in the messages. A source told Politico there were only 'a few' texts and that they were 'of no significance.'
Downing Street said: 'We do not comment on national security matters.'
But the British embassy in Washington was so perturbed by the messages it raised them with the White House and the UK government feared that Wiles' phone had been hacked for a second time.
A White House official said: 'This incident had nothing to do with the Chief of Staff’s devices being hacked.'
The White House and the FBI launched an investigation in May last year after an imposter contacted prominent Republicans and business executives pretending to be Wiles.
She told colleagues that her personal cellphone had been hacked not her government device, the Wall Street Journal reported at the time.
Director of White House Oval Office Operations Walt Nauta, White House Chief of Staff Susie Wiles, White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt, White House communications advisor Margo Martin and executive assistant to Donald Trump Natalie Harp walk to board Air Force One on August 11 at Joint Base Andrews, Maryland
Donald Trump walks over to Air Force One after landing in Marine One at Morristown Municipal Airport on August 16 in Morristown, New Jersey
UK Prime Minister Andy Burnham sees potatoes being sorted during a visit to F G Pryor & Son Ltd, Colwyn Farm near Truro on August 15 in Truro
These communications involved not just texts but calls featuring a voice which sounded like Wiles. Officials believed that the imposter was using artificial intelligence to mimic her voice.
No culprit has been publicly identified or charged in that impersonation campaign.
The renewed hacking fears come amid the spiraling war with Iran after ceasefire talks collapsed at the start of July.
Tehran plans to escalate attacks against the US ahead of the midterm elections in November to increase pressure on Trump, the Daily Mail revealed last week.
