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Prime Minister Andy Burnham engaged in message exchanges with an unidentified individual who was impersonating Susie Wiles, Donald Trump’s chief of staff, according to reports. The contact occurred before security concerns prompted action on the matter. Officials have confirmed that no substantive communications were transmitted during the interaction, and the incident was swiftly reported to relevant authorities.
The British embassy in Washington grew sufficiently alarmed by the situation to bring it to the attention of the White House, as reported by Politico. A UK government representative declined to provide further details, citing national security considerations. The timing of the messages and their specific content remain unclear, though Burnham assumed his role as prime minister on 20 July.
This incident reflects broader security vulnerabilities affecting the Trump administration. The FBI previously investigated similar attempts to gain unauthorized access to Wiles’s phone through impersonation. Additionally, a December 2025 defence department report documented how sensitive military information was inadvertently shared through an unsecured messaging platform when a journalist was covertly added to a group chat that included senior officials, raising concerns about operational security within the White House.
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Originally reported by Theguardian →
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