FBI Investigates Trump Hack; Harris Team Claims It Was Targeted as Well

WASHINGTON − The FBI confirmed on Monday that it is investigating allegations of a cyber breach involving Donald Trump’s presidential campaign, marking another instance of foreign intelligence targeting U.S. electoral processes. Meanwhile, the Kamala Harris campaign disclosed that it faced an unsuccessful hacking attempt of its own.

On Saturday, Trump stated that Iranian hackers had infiltrated his 2024 political campaign, which aligned with Microsoft’s earlier disclosure of a June breach regarding an unnamed victim. This acknowledgment confirmed suspicions of his campaign being the target.

In a statement, the FBI said, “We can confirm the FBI is investigating this matter.”

In a separate incident, the Harris campaign reported being the target of a “spear phishing” attack that failed in breaching their cybersecurity defenses, according to the Washington Post.

A Harris campaign official stated, “Our campaign vigilantly monitors and protects against cyber threats, and we are not aware of any security breaches of our systems.”

On Monday, the White House refrained from commenting extensively and instead deferred to the FBI investigation regarding the hacking of Trump’s campaign. Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre expressed the administration’s condemnation of any foreign interference aimed at undermining U.S. electoral integrity.

In response to the breach, Trump remarked on social media that the hackers had only accessed “publicly available information.”

Connecting these incidents, reports surfaced that at least two media outlets received documents seemingly analyzing vulnerabilities related to Senator J.D. Vance ahead of his anticipated selection as Trump’s running mate in mid-July. The revelations contained information which could potentially harm the GOP’s campaign as it enters a competitive phase.

Trump’s spokesman, Steven Cheung, criticized the press: “Any media or news outlet reprinting documents or internal communications are doing the bidding of America’s enemies and doing exactly what they want.”

This occurrence echoes a similar situation from 2016 when Hillary Clinton’s campaign faced severe negative impacts after Russian hackers infiltrated the Democratic National Committee’s email servers. Trump previously encouraged Russian hackers to target Clinton, celebrating their actions and even reading portions of the leaked emails at campaign rallies.

As the investigations unfold, both campaigns emphasize their proactive measures to secure their operations against hacking attempts and foreign interference. The heightened focus on cybersecurity demonstrates the complexities of safeguarding democratic processes in an increasingly digital landscape.

As these developments come to light, scrutiny on foreign meddling in U.S. elections intensifies. The FBI’s investigation into the Trump campaign hack and the Harris campaign’s detection of the attempted breach highlight ongoing vulnerabilities present in political campaigns, raising concerns about security protocols and future election integrity.

The American public watches closely as this situation evolves, drawing parallels to past election cycles that were disrupted by foreign cyber activities. Strengthening cybersecurity measures will remain a top priority as politicians grapple with the reality of outside interference in their electoral strategies.

With both campaigns under threat, the Biden administration and political candidates alike will likely continue to address cybersecurity vulnerabilities as a critical component of their platforms moving forward.

Source: USA TODAY