Trump campaign hit by foreign hacking; documents leaked to media
10:09 AM EDT, August 11, 2024
Steven Cheung, spokesman for Donald Trump's presidential campaign, reported that a foreign entity illegally obtained campaign documents of the former U.S. leader to influence this year's elections, CNN reported late Saturday night into Sunday morning.
Portal Politico reported on Saturday that it received emails from an anonymous account containing documents related to Trump's campaign. "These documents were illegally obtained by foreign entities hostile to the United States. The aim was to interfere in the 2024 elections and create chaos throughout the entire democratic process in the USA," the Trump campaign spokesman stated in a message sent to CNN on Saturday.
Cheung pointed to a Friday report published by Microsoft. The document indicates that Iranian intelligence agencies have intensified their efforts to influence the U.S. presidential elections by creating fake news services targeted at liberal and conservative voters and attempting to hack individuals responsible for the campaign.
"The report follows recent reports of an Iranian plot to assassinate President Trump. This happened around the same time as the attack in Pennsylvania, the attempted assassination of Trump on July 13 this year," Cheung noted.
"The Iranians know that Trump as president will end their terror, continuing the actions taken during his first four years in the White House," emphasized the former U.S. leader's spokesman.
The Iranian diplomatic mission to the UN, commenting on the Microsoft report, stated that it "does not believe such reports." "The Iranian government does not conceal any of its intentions or motives and does not interfere in the presidential elections in the United States," the statement emphasized.
There is a reaction from the White House
The White House expressed strong condemnation on Saturday for any attempts at foreign interference in American elections. "As we have repeatedly said, the Biden-Harris administration strongly condemns any foreign government or entity that tries to interfere in our electoral process or undermines confidence in our democratic institutions," said John Kirby, spokesman for the National Security Council of the USA.
