Andy Burnham has said he is not embarrassed about exchanging messages with someone pretending to be one of Donald Trump’s closest advisers – Susie Wiles, the White House’s chief of Staff
Andy Burnham has said he is not embarrassed about exchanging messages with someone pretending to be one of Donald Trump‘s closest advisers.
The Prime Minister said there was “nothing of consequence” discussed and that he “handled it in the right way” by reporting it.
Mr Burnham – who will be trying to get on the front foot with the US President – is understood to have engaged with messages sent by someone impersonating Susie Wiles, the White House’s chief of staff. Mr Burnham communicated with them before becoming suspicious.
Asked if he was embarrassed by the contact with someone pretending to be Ms Wiles, Mr Burnham told broadcasters on Tuesday: “No, I’m not, because there was a minimal exchange.
“Nothing of consequence, and actually, quickly I realised that this needed to be reported, and I did so. So I handled it in the right way. All politicians are receiving these pressures and these challenges, but I did everything right. There was a minimal exchange of information of zero consequence, and it was quickly reported.”
Speaking during a visit to Wolverhampton bus station, the PM added: “The correct action has been taken here and in the US.”
One person who had been informed of the incident told Politico a “few messages” were exchanged after the PM entered Downing Street but insisted they were “of no significance”. It is unclear what the pair talked about.
On Monday, Downing Street refused to comment on the specifics. “We do not comment on national security matters,” a No10 spokeswoman said. The British embassy in Washington DC reportedly raised the incident with the White House over concerns. UK officials feared Ms Wiles had been hacked.
A White House official: “This incident had nothing to do with the Chief of Staff’s devices being hacked.”
The FBI and White House started probing reports of someone pretending to be Ms Wiles last year, according to reports by US media.
Last May, the Wall Street Journal reported that senators, governors, top American business bosses and other well-known figures had received calls and text from someone saying they were her. “The White House takes the cybersecurity of all staff very seriously, and this matter continues to be investigated,” a White House spokeswoman said at the time.
Mr Burnham is not the first high-profile politician to fall victim to a hoax call, with Boris Johnson having been targeted by a Russian prank caller when he was foreign secretary. The caller posed as the new PM of Armenia.
Footage of a hoax call in which then-foreign secretary Lord David Cameron believed he was speaking to former Ukrainian president Petro Poroshenko was released by the UK Government in 2024. The Foreign Office said the perpetrators in that case were “clearly Russian” and made the incident public in a bid to pre-empt any effort to manipulate the video.
In 2022, then-home secretary Priti Patel and then-defence secretary Ben Wallace were also targeted by hoaxers suspected of working for the Kremlin.
In 1998, impressionist Jon Culshaw was put through the Downing Street switchboard to then-premier Sir Tony Blair while pretending to be then-leader of the Opposition Lord William Hague. Sir Tony realised instantly the call was prank, but laughed and said: “It’s quite a good imitation.”
Shortly before entering Downing Street last month, Mr Trump described Mr Burnham as the “mayor of a town” and an “extremely liberal” politician. But the ex-Greater Manchester Mayor has attempted to build ties with the erratic President.
In a phone call with Mr Trump on the day he became Prime Minister, Mr Burnham told the President he hoped to show him “what Manchester had to offer during a visit in the future”, No10 said. Manchester is set to host the G20 world leaders summit in 2027.