In a major breach of security, Chinese hackers reportedly targeted the cell phones of Donald Trump and his running mate, Senator J.D. Vance, in an infiltration of the Verizon network. The Trump campaign was notified this week, sparking concerns about potential election interference as investigators scramble to determine if sensitive data was accessed.
Sources close to the investigation revealed that even metadata—such as who Trump and Vance were calling—could offer insights into their political circle, paving the way for more targeted attacks on high-profile contacts. This hack is the latest in a series of international cybersecurity threats to U.S. political campaigns; last month, Iranian hackers were charged with attempting to infiltrate Trump’s campaign data.
Security analysts link this breach to “Salt Typhoon,” a Chinese espionage campaign recently exposed for breaking into multiple U.S. internet service providers. As U.S.-China relations remain strained, this breach raises the stakes for digital security in the high-stakes 2024 election season.
