Donald Trump’s 2024 US presidential campaign claimed on Saturday that some of its internal communications had been hacked, pointing fingers at the Iranian government. The campaign’s statement cited historical hostilities between Trump and Iran but did not present direct evidence to support the accusation.
The announcement followed a report by Politico that revealed the news website had been receiving emails since July from an anonymous source offering what were described as authentic documents from within Trump’s campaign. Among these documents was a report discussing the “potential vulnerabilities” of Trump’s running mate, JD Vance.
“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,” Trump campaign spokesperson Steven Cheung said in a statement.
Later on Saturday, Trump took to his Truth Social app, claiming that Microsoft had informed his campaign that Iran had hacked one of its websites. Trump blamed Iran but noted that the hackers were “only able to get publicly available information.” He did not provide further details about the alleged hack.
Reuters has not independently verified the identity of the hackers or their motives. However, the Trump campaign referred to a recent report from Microsoft, which indicated that Iranian government-affiliated hackers attempted to breach the account of a “high-ranking official” on a US presidential campaign in June. The hackers reportedly took control of an account belonging to a former political advisor and used it to target the official, though Microsoft did not disclose the identities of the targeted individuals.
In response, Iran’s permanent mission to the United Nations in New York denied the allegations, stating that “the Iranian government neither possesses nor harbors any intent or motive to interfere in the United States presidential election.” The mission dismissed the Trump campaign’s claims, while also reiterating that Iran’s cyber capabilities are “defensive and proportionate to the threats it faces.”
The tense relationship between Trump and Iran during his presidency adds a layer of complexity to the accusations. During his time in office, Trump ordered the killing of Iranian military commander Qassem Soleimani in 2020 and withdrew the United States from a multilateral nuclear deal with Iran. The Trump campaign spokesperson emphasized, “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.”
The recent hacking claims come amid broader concerns about foreign interference in US elections. A senior intelligence official recently noted that Tehran and Moscow continue to maintain the same presidential preferences as in previous election cycles, with Iranian operatives reportedly aiming to undermine the Republican ticket while Russia has been accused of attempting to discredit Democrats.
As the 2024 presidential race intensifies, these hacking allegations further highlight the ongoing challenges related to cybersecurity and election integrity in the United States.
