Donald Trump’s campaign claims that Iranian operatives were the intended targets of a cyberattack that compromised internal communications.
On Saturday, Politico reported that it had received campaign-related documents, including reports on Trump’s running mate, Ohio Senator JD Vance, via email. A campaign spokesperson told the BBC that hostile foreign actors were attempting to interfere in the 2024 election by seeking these documents.
While Politico has verified the authenticity of the files, neither the BBC nor independent sources have confirmed this. The Trump campaign has not provided concrete evidence linking the breach to the Iranian government or Iranian hackers.
A day earlier, Microsoft released a report stating that the campaign of an unidentified U.S. presidential candidate had been hacked in June. According to Microsoft’s Threat Analysis Center (MTAC), a phishing email—designed to deceive recipients into clicking a malicious link—was used to infiltrate the campaign’s systems.
“In recent months, we have observed a significant increase in influence operations originating from Iranian entities,” the MTAC report noted.
Trump campaign spokesperson Steven Cheung referenced Microsoft’s findings, suggesting a link between the cyberattack and the timing of Trump’s vice-presidential selection. “The Iranians know that President Trump will put an end to their reign of terror, just as he did in his first term,” Cheung stated.
Politico further reported that in late July, an AOL email account under the name “Robert” began sending messages containing campaign materials. One email reportedly included a 271-page file on Vance, detailing his past statements and actions. The message also mentioned excerpts from a report on Florida Senator Marco Rubio, another vice-presidential contender.
Presidential campaigns routinely conduct thorough background checks on potential running mates to preempt any vulnerabilities. According to Politico, Vance’s previous criticisms of Trump were flagged as potential concerns in the internal report.
Microsoft’s research pointed out that “Iranian cyber-enabled influence operations have been a consistent factor in at least the last three U.S. election cycles.” During the 2020 election, Microsoft similarly reported Iranian attempts to hack presidential campaigns.
Separately, U.S. security sources have reportedly warned of an Iranian plot to assassinate Trump, unrelated to an attempted shooting in Pennsylvania last month. On Tuesday, the U.S. Department of Justice charged a Pakistani national with alleged ties to Iran, accusing him of plotting to kill American officials—potentially including the former president.
