UK PM Burnham exchanged messages with Trump aide impostor: reports
New British Prime Minister Andy Burnham exchanged messages with someone posing as Susie Wiles, the White House chief of staff, several media outlets reported on Monday. According to Politico, which broke the story quoting anonymous sources, the British leader sent a “few messages” via an unspecified communication channel to a person he believed to be Wiles before becoming suspicious. The incident…
British Prime Minister Andy Burnham is reportedly the subject of messages exchanged with an individual impersonating Susie Wiles, the White House chief of staff, according to multiple news sources. Politico first broke the story, citing anonymous sources. The exchange occurred via an unspecified communication method before Burnham became suspicious.
The incident was deemed serious enough for the British embassy in Washington to inform the White House, per two unnamed sources mentioned by Politico. The exact date and content of the exchanges remain undisclosed. Burnham assumed the role of prime minister on July 20, succeeding Keir Starmer. A spokesperson for Burnham's office declined to comment on the matter, citing national security concerns.
This is not the first time a prominent British politician has fallen victim to such a hoax; in 2024, the British government released footage of a phone call in which former UK Foreign Secretary David Cameron was tricked by someone posing as former Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko. The Foreign Office stated that they had released the information to deter any attempts to manipulate the footage for malicious purposes.
Written by urgent.news from South China Morning Post's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
