Trump's White House Chief of Staff Hit by Wild Impersonator Plot
Someone posing as Donald Trump's top aide has been trying to hoodwink Republican power players.
Federal authorities are investigating after big-name Republicans and business execs received text messages and phone calls from an individual claiming to be White House Chief of Staff Susie Wiles, the Wall Street Journal reported Thursday.
It happened after Wiles' cellphone was hacked, sources told the Journal, with the hacker accessing her influential contact list. Some of the calls featured a voice that sounded like Wiles, which officials suspect could have been achieved using artificial intelligence.
The recipients of the messages and calls are said to include senators, governors, and top businesspeople.
The impersonator, using a number that did not belong to Wiles, made various requests, including asking a lawmaker for Trump's potential pardon list and requesting a cash transfer. Some of the people contacted told the Journal the impersonator's grammar was off and they spoke more formally than Wiles does.
'The White House takes the cybersecurity of all staff very seriously, and this matter continues to be investigated,' a White House spokeswoman told the Journal.
FBI Director Kash Patel told the newspaper that the agency 'takes all threats against the president, his staff, and our cybersecurity with the utmost seriousness,' adding, 'safeguarding our administration officials' ability to securely communicate to accomplish the president's mission is a top priority.'
The White House and FBI did not immediately return the Daily Beast's request for comment.
It's not the first time Wiles has been pursued in a hacking attempt. Last year, she was among the presidential campaign staffers that Iranian hackers targeted, according to Washington Post reporting at the time.
Wiles—reportedly nicknamed the 'Ice Maiden' by Trump for her coolheaded nature—has lasted a rare eight years in Trump's close circle. A veteran political strategist, she led his 2024 campaign and is considered to be his closest adviser.
'The first person he talked to in the beginning of the day was Susie, and the last person he talked to at night was Susie,' Chris LaCivita, co-chair of the campaign, told The New York Times in January.
In an interview ahead of the November election, Wiles told The Wall Street Journal she prefers to stay behind the scenes—a trait that's been credited with helping her maintain an unusually long run in Trump's inner circle. 'I don't want to be in the spotlight. I think it hampers your ability to be effective,' she said at the time.
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