Chinese hackers breached Verizon’s system, targeting phones used by individuals connected to Democratic presidential candidate Kamala Harris’s campaign. Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump and his running mate, JD Vance, were also reportedly targeted.
The New York Times reports that investigators are examining whether any communications were accessed from Trump and Vance. This week, the Trump campaign was informed that both were among those targeted in Verizon’s phone system breach. However, the campaign did not confirm their phones were specifically targeted by Chinese hackers.
Steven Cheung, the campaign’s communications director, claimed that Vice President Harris has empowered China and Iran to target U.S. infrastructure to block Trump’s return.
The Chinese embassy in Washington, without addressing this incident, stated that China opposes cyberattacks, adding, “The presidential elections are the United States’ domestic affairs. China has no intention and will not interfere in the U.S. election.”
Iranian Hacking Attack on Trump’s Campaign
In September 2024, the U.S. Justice Department unveiled charges against three Iranian Revolutionary Guards members, accusing them of hacking Donald Trump’s campaign and attempting to disrupt the November 5 election. Iran dismissed the claims as baseless. The three men—Masoud Jalili, Seyyed Ali Aghamiri, and Yasar Balaghi—aimed to undermine Trump’s campaign, Attorney General Merrick Garland stated, adding, “We are seeing increasingly aggressive Iranian cyber activity during this election cycle.”
The indictment states that the three men used fake emails to deceive campaign officials, leading them to click links that enabled the hackers to steal internal documents, including debate prep and VP candidate profiles. This information was then leaked to media and the Biden campaign. Charges include wire fraud, identity theft, and computer fraud, with the U.S. Treasury also imposing sanctions on the three men and other Revolutionary Guard members.
Foreign Interference in U.S. Elections in Recent History
Foreign interference in U.S. elections has a notable history, with major incidents often linked to cyber campaigns, disinformation, and espionage. Russia’s 2016 efforts included social media manipulation and email hacks, aiming to undermine Hillary Clinton and favor Donald Trump.
In 2020, Iran and China conducted less sophisticated but similar campaigns, with Iran using emails and disinformation against Trump and China reportedly supporting Joe Biden.
In 2024, Iranian hackers targeted Trump’s campaign again, with leaked data used to sow discord. The U.S. has responded by imposing sanctions on individuals and entities involved, highlighting a continued commitment to safeguarding election integrity.