UK PM Andy Burnham impersonation hoax involving Trump’s chief of staff Susie Wiles
Consensus Summary
UK Prime Minister Andy Burnham confirmed he exchanged messages with an impersonator claiming to be Donald Trump’s chief of staff Susie Wiles, an incident reported by both ABC and the Guardian. Burnham, speaking during a visit to Wolverhampton on Tuesday, said the contact was quickly reported and no sensitive information was shared. The British embassy raised the matter with the White House, and both sources agree the FBI investigated similar impersonation attempts in 2025, including hacking of Wiles’ phone in 2024. The ABC notes prior hoaxes involving Boris Johnson in 2018 and David Cameron in 2024 and 2015, while the Guardian highlights broader security concerns, including a December 2025 defence department report on Trump’s defence secretary sharing classified military details and March reports of Trump’s contact details being offered for sale. Both articles emphasize the swift reporting of the incident but differ on the timing of the FBI investigation’s public reporting.
✓ Verified by 2+ sources
Key details reported by multiple sources:
- UK Prime Minister Andy Burnham exchanged messages with someone impersonating White House chief of staff Susie Wiles
- The British embassy in Washington raised the incident with the White House after Burnham reported it
- Burnham confirmed the exchange occurred during a visit to Wolverhampton on Tuesday
- Burnham stated the exchange was 'minimal' and 'nothing of consequence' was discussed
- The FBI investigated impersonation attempts targeting Susie Wiles in 2025, including contacts with prominent Republicans and business executives
- Susie Wiles told associates in 2024 that her personal phone had been hacked, exposing her contact list
Points of Difference
Details reported by only one source:
- The incident was first reported by Politico on Monday
- Federal authorities began investigating similar impersonation efforts in May 2025
- Boris Johnson discussed sanctions against Russia in an 18-minute hoax call as foreign secretary in 2018
- David Cameron fell victim to hoaxes in 2024 and 2015, including impersonations of Petro Poroshenko and a UK Government Communications Headquarters official
- Burnham said he was not embarrassed and the 'correct action' was taken in both the UK and US
- The messages were not released to the public, and Downing Street declined to specify when the exchange occurred
- Burnham succeeded Keir Starmer as UK Prime Minister on 20 July
- A US defence department report in December 2025 found Trump’s defence secretary Pete Hegseth endangered US service personnel by sharing secret military details in a Signal group chat involving journalists
- In March, the White House was told Trump’s contact details had been offered for sale to people seeking influence, according to anonymous sources
Where the reporting differs
Details that conflict, or appear in only some outlets:
- The ABC states the FBI probe began after reports published in May 2025, while the Guardian references a Wall Street Journal report from last year (2024) about the FBI investigation
- The ABC mentions Burnham’s visit to Wolverhampton on Tuesday without specifying local time, while the Guardian does not mention Wolverhampton but focuses on the 20 July succession date
Source Articles
UK's new PM messaged with person claiming to be Trump's chief of staff
UK Prime Minister Andy Burnham confirms he exchanged messages with someone pretending to be US President Donald Trump's chief of staff, Susie Wiles.
Burnham exchanged messages with individual impersonating Trump chief of staff
PM was in contact with unknown person pretending to be senior White House aide Susie Wiles, it is understood UK politics live – latest updates Andy Burnham exchanged messages with someone impersonating Donald Trump’s chief of staff, the Guardian understands. The prime minister was in contact with an unknown individual pretending to be the senior White House aide Susie Wiles before concerns were raised about the incident. No messages of significance were sent and the suspicious activity was quick
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