Burnham contacted by impersonator posing as Trump chief of staff
Government declines to comment on national security details as incident follows pattern of compromised communications within the US administration
UK Prime Minister Andy Burnham exchanged messages with an individual impersonating US President Donald Trump’s chief of staff, Susie Wiles. The contact occurred before concerns were raised about the incident, and no messages of significance were sent. The suspicious activity was reported to the appropriate authorities, and the British embassy in Washington raised the matter with the White House.
The incident was first reported by Politico, which cited the British embassy’s concern. The Guardian understands that the prime minister was in contact with an unknown individual pretending to be Wiles. It is unclear when the messages were sent and what was discussed between Burnham, who succeeded Keir Starmer in Downing Street on 20 July, and the impersonator.
A UK government spokesperson declined to comment on national security matters, stating: “We do not comment on national security matters.” The refusal to provide further detail underscores the sensitivity surrounding the breach of communications protocols involving the head of government.
The incident follows a pattern of security breaches involving Trump administration officials. Last year, the Wall Street Journal reported that the FBI launched an investigation into efforts to access Wiles’s phone after an unknown person pretending to be her contacted prominent Republicans and business chiefs.
Security concerns related to Trump’s White House have been persistent, with the president’s personal phone number common knowledge among reporters covering US politics. In March, citing multiple anonymous sources, the Atlantic reported that the White House had been told Trump’s contact details had been offered for sale to people seeking influence.
In December 2025, a US defence department report concluded that Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth endangered the lives of US service personnel by discussing details of a military operation in a group chat that included a journalist. Hegseth violated departmental policies by sharing secret information in a Signal messaging chat, which also included Vice-President JD Vance and CIA Director John Ratcliffe.
