Former President Donald Trump accused Iran of hacking his campaign on Wednesday and expressed approval of the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s (FBI) investigation into the matter. Speaking to reporters in Palm Beach as he arrived to vote in the Florida primary, Trump stated, “They are looking at it and they’re doing it very professionally, and it looks like it’s Iran.”
When pressed for details on the FBI’s findings, Trump remained tight-lipped, saying only, “I don’t want to say exactly, but it was Iran.”
Campaign Hack Confirmed
The Trump campaign confirmed the hacking incident on Saturday, following a report by POLITICO, which began receiving internal documents from an anonymous source. The campaign quickly attributed the hack to “foreign sources hostile to the United States,” referencing a Microsoft Threat Analysis report released the previous Friday. The report indicated that Iranian actors have been laying the groundwork for influence operations targeting U.S. audiences, potentially aiming to impact the 2024 presidential election.
“We expect Iranian actors will employ cyberattacks against institutions and candidates,” the report warned.
FBI Investigation Underway
The FBI launched its probe into the hack in June, also investigating spear-phishing attempts aimed at Biden-Harris campaign officials, according to POLITICO. While the agency confirmed the investigation, it declined to provide further details on the scope or potential suspects.
An FBI spokesperson did not immediately respond to requests for comment on Trump’s statements on Wednesday.
Trump’s Comments
Trump suggested that the hack was a retaliatory move by Iran, citing his tough stance on the country during his presidency. “Iran is no friend of mine, a lot of bad signals get sent,” he remarked, adding, “The reason is because I was strong on Iran and I was protecting people in the Middle East that maybe they aren’t so happy about that.”
While the FBI suspects Iran is behind the attacks on both the Trump and Biden-Harris campaigns, the identity of those responsible for leaking hacked documents to the media remains unclear. Iran has denied any involvement in the hack, according to state media reports.
COMMENTS