Reports from The New York Times indicate that Chinese cyber attackers have infiltrated the cell phones of both former President Donald Trump and his vice-presidential candidate J.D. Vance.
Earlier this week, the Trump campaign was informed about the breach, which also involves other individuals inside and outside government circles.
The hackers allegedly accessed Verizon’s phone networks, though the details of any data that might have been compromised are still being investigated.
While the attackers may not have accessed the contents of communications, identifying contacts of high-profile figures like Trump and Vance could still be valuable for China.
This information might assist in targeting influence operations within their circles. Security analysts suspect Salt Typhoon, a China-linked hacking group, has penetrated U.S. telecom networks. However, identifying specific phone numbers as targets is a recent development.
Uncertainty remains as to whether the hackers could record conversations or intercept messages, depending on the apps used and their data transmission methods.
The breach extends beyond the 2024 presidential candidates, suggesting wider national security ramifications.
In a statement, Stephen Cheung, the Trump campaign’s communications director, accused Vice President Kamala Harris and the Democrats of enabling foreign adversaries to interfere, claiming they aim to prevent Trump’s return to the presidency.
“Their dangerous and violent rhetoric has given permission to those who wish to harm President Trump,” Cheung argued.
“They have now stood by and allowed major foreign adversaries to attack us in order to illegally help Kamala because they know she represents a weak American who will always bow down,” he added.
“Whereas, President Trump will actually stand up against our enemies and defend the United States from any and all aggression.”
