Chinese hackers targeted the cellphones of Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump, his running mate JD Vance, and individuals associated with the Democratic campaign of Kamala Harris, sources familiar with the situation told the Associated Press on Friday. U.S. officials are investigating the extent of the breach, although it remains unclear what data, if any, may have been accessed.
While the FBI did not directly confirm Trump and Vance as specific targets, it acknowledged an active investigation into “unauthorized access to commercial telecommunications infrastructure by actors affiliated with the People’s Republic of China.” The agency stated it is working with multiple U.S. government bodies and industry partners to strengthen cybersecurity in the commercial telecommunications sector.
U.S. officials suspect the targeted campaigns are part of a larger cyberespionage operation directed by China. Though details about the hackers’ objectives remain unknown, Beijing has historically engaged in extensive hacking campaigns aimed at collecting data on Americans, stealing corporate secrets, and targeting critical U.S. infrastructure.
This recent cyber threat comes as the U.S. remains vigilant against foreign interference in the final months of the presidential race. Iranian hackers have previously targeted Trump campaign officials, and Russian disinformation campaigns are reportedly attempting to sway the race in Trump's favor. By contrast, U.S. intelligence officials believe China has taken a neutral stance in the race but has targeted down-ballot candidates from both parties based on their positions on key issues, such as support for Taiwan.
The New York Times was the first to report that Trump and Vance were targeted, with sources also confirming that members of the Harris campaign were included in the attacks. A spokesperson for China’s Washington embassy declined to comment on the incident but stated, “China has no intention and will not interfere in the U.S. election.”
Trump campaign spokesman Steven Cheung issued a statement blaming the Harris campaign for emboldening adversaries like China and Iran, though he provided no specific details on the recent hacking activity.
The FBI has consistently raised alarms over Chinese hacking operations. In January, FBI Director Chris Wray revealed that the agency had disrupted a state-sponsored hacking group known as Volt Typhoon, which had targeted U.S.-based small office and home routers as a means to infiltrate critical systems like water treatment plants, the electrical grid, and transportation. More recently, the FBI exposed another Chinese operation, Typhoon Flax, which had implanted malicious software on more than 200,000 consumer devices, including cameras and routers, aimed at U.S. universities, government agencies, and other institutions.
In recent weeks, The Wall Street Journal also reported that Chinese hackers had accessed networks of U.S. broadband providers, potentially tapping into systems used by law enforcement for wiretapping, raising further cybersecurity concerns in an already volatile election season.
