The Prime Minister’s staff is trying to cover up the major diplomatic embarrassment.
A flawed security environment around the new British Prime Minister, Andy Burnham, led to him exchanging messages with an impersonator posing as US President Donald J. Trump’s chief of staff, Susie Wiles.
Andy Burnham exchanged messages with somebody impersonating one of Donald Trump’s closest advisers, according to people familiar with the matter https://t.co/nNHeAmtciX
— Bloomberg (@business) August 17, 2026
Four officials have told a Politico report:
“The new PM communicated with someone posing as White House chief of staff Susie Wiles before becoming suspicious that the contact was illegitimate, the officials said.”
“‘We do not comment on national security matters’, Downing Street said. One person briefed on the communications said a ‘few messages’ were exchanged after the PM entered No. 10 but insisted they were ‘of no significance’.”
Andy Burnham exchanged several messages with someone impersonating White House Chief of Staff Susie Wiles.
Burnham eventually became suspicious that the contact was fake, and the British embassy in Washington raised the incident with the White House.
Officials have not revealed… pic.twitter.com/UkfdQ0jhgU
— Clash Report (@clashreport) August 17, 2026
The British embassy in Washington was concerned enough about the incident to prompt it to discuss it with the White House.
“What was discussed in the exchange with Burnham — and when the messages were sent — is unclear, with the erroneous contact kept a closely-guarded secret.
Burnham became PM on July 20, but it was clear he was on course to succeed Keir Starmer from the moment he won the Makerfield by-election on June 18.”
Andy Burnham exchanged messages with an impostor posing as President Trump’s chief of staff after entering Downing Street, it has emerged https://t.co/UxCURR2mCJ
— The Times and Sunday Times (@thetimes) August 17, 2026
Sky News reported:
“It’s understood the prime minister exchanged a handful of messages before reportedly becoming suspicious and quickly reporting it to the appropriate authorities.
[…] No messages of any significance were exchanged, it is also understood, and no phone call was had.
Last year, The Wall Street Journal reported that the FBI had launched an investigation into efforts to access Wiles’s phone after an unknown person contacted prominent Republicans and business chiefs while pretending to be her.”
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