Burnham says he is not embarrassed about hoax Trump aide message exchange
Burnham said the exchange was minimal and quickly reported after he became suspicious, while the British embassy raised concerns with the White House.
- On Tuesday, Prime Minister Andy Burnham confirmed he exchanged messages with an impostor posing as White House aide Susie Wiles. Speaking in Wolverhampton, he said he was not embarrassed and reported the incident quickly, describing the exchange as "minimal" consequence.
- Reports first emerged Monday via Politico that the British embassy in Washington raised the incident with the White House. A U.S. official clarified Burnham's experience was unrelated to the prior hacking of Wiles' phone.
- This incident adds to a history of high-profile hoaxes targeting British politicians, including past attempts involving Lord David Cameron, Priti Patel, and Ben Wallace. In 1998, impressionist Jon Culshaw successfully contacted Downing Street by pretending to be Lord William Hague.
- President Donald Trump appeared unaware of the specific incident, telling reporters at the White House that he was "sure that he had a miscommunication." Burnham reiterated correct actions were taken in both the UK and U.S.
- The Wall Street Journal reported last year that the FBI launched an investigation into efforts to access Wiles' phone after an unknown person contacted prominent Republicans. These impersonation attempts reveal persistent security challenges facing officials in both America and Britain.
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32 Articles
Andy Burnham defends response to White House hoax call: 'I did everything right!'
Andy Burnham has stood by his response to a hoax phone call from an imposter claiming to be White House Chief of Staff Susie Wiles.The Prime Minister was in contact with an unknown individual pretending to be the key ally of President Donald Trump, but he became suspicious after several messages and reported the incident.Officials were so concerned, the British embassy in Washington raised the matter with the White House directly, reports Politi…
Downing Street declined to comment on the matter, but did not deny the existence of a message exchange.
New UK Prime Minister Andy Burnham confirmed on Tuesday that he had exchanged messages with someone posing as US President Donald Trump's chief of staff.
British Prime Minister Andy Burnham, who took office in July, has confirmed that he exchanged messages with a person who falsely claimed to be US President Donald Trump's chief of staff, Susie Wiles. He clarified that no sensitive content was exchanged in the messages and that he was not embarrassed.
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