The Prime Minister reportedly believed he was speaking to White House Chief of Staff Susie Wiles.
Andy Burnham visits Stourbridge after devastating fires
Prime Minister Andy Burnham was duped into communicating with a person pretending to be one of Donald Trump’s closest advisors, it has been claimed. According to POLITICO, the new PM believed he was messaging White House chief of staff Susie Wiles, before becoming suspicious that the exchange was not genuine.
The incident saw the British Embassy in Washington raise the matter with the Trump administration who declined to comment publicly. Downing Street has moved to play down the exchange between the prime minister and the imposter, by insisting that they “do not comment on national security matters.” One insider with knowledge of the exchange told Politico that a “few messages” were exchanged after the PM entered No. 10 but insisted they were “of no significance.”
Andy Burnham engaged with messages from somebody impersonating a Trump aide. (Image: Getty)
Wiles was seen as vital to Trump’s election in 2024 (Image: Getty)
The contents of the exchange remain unclear.
It comes after Wiles, who was seen by many as instrumental in Donald Trump’s return to the White House, reportedly had her phone hacked last year leading to an investigation by the FBI.
She managed his presidential campaign before becoming White House chief of staff, the first woman to serve in the high-profile position.
She is known to have an extensive contact book of influential Republicans, both in Washington and in Florida, where she spent years as a political power broker.
According to CBS, the Trump ally told people that her phone had been hacked after an impersonator – or impersonators – used her contacts file to message other top US officials.
Speaking at the time, FBI director Kash Patel said in a statement: “The FBI takes all threats against the President, his staff, and our cybersecurity with the utmost seriousness; safeguarding our administration officials’ ability to securely communicate to accomplish the President’s mission is a top priority.”
Wiles is believed to have had her phone hacked in 2025 (Image: Getty)
Wiles is understood to have apologised to friends and contacts for the previous breach, telling them to discount any messages.
However it is believed that many engaged with the key Trump ally before realising that the messages were not genuine.
The latest apparent breach of Wiles’ phone raises fresh questions about the security protocols being followed by those closest to the US president after a series of blunders.
Last year, Secretary of Defence Pete Hegseth was ridiculed for sharing top-secret plans for a military strike in a Whatsapp group.
The discussions were uncovered after a journalist was accidentally added into the group, becoming privy to confidential information hours before a US military strike.