Chinese Hackers Target Phones Linked to Kamala Harris, Trump Campaigns

US-(Special Correspondent/Webdesk): Chinese hackers reportedly infiltrated Verizon’s system, specifically targeting phones used by individuals linked to Democratic presidential candidate Kamala Harris’s campaign, according to a source familiar with the situation on Friday.

Media reports also indicated that phones associated with Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump and his running mate, JD Vance, were targets, though Reuters could not verify this information. The New York Times reported that investigators are attempting to determine whether any communications were accessed from Trump and Vance.

The Trump campaign learned this week that Trump and Vance were among those, both inside and outside of government, whose phone numbers were targeted via Verizon’s network. However, the Trump campaign did not confirm that the phones of Trump and Vance were specifically compromised. Campaign communications director Steven Cheung stated that Vice President Harris had emboldened China and Iran to target U.S. infrastructure to hinder Trump’s re-election efforts.

While the Chinese embassy in Washington noted its lack of knowledge on this specific incident, it emphasized that China opposes all forms of cyber-attacks and interference, stating, “The presidential elections are a domestic affair of the United States. China has no intention of interfering.”

The Harris campaign did not immediately respond to requests for comment.

The Trump campaign had previously been hacked earlier this year, with the U.S. Justice Department charging three Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps members, alleging an attempt to disrupt the upcoming November 5 election.

The FBI and the U.S. Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency confirmed on Friday that they are investigating unauthorized access to commercial telecom infrastructure, reportedly linked to China. While the joint statement did not identify specific targets, Verizon, the largest U.S. telecom provider, acknowledged a sophisticated attempt to infiltrate U.S. telecom networks and stated it is collaborating with law enforcement.

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