Iran-linked hackers threaten to release private emails from Trump's friends and enemies

Toronto, Canada - A group of hackers linked to Iran is threatening to release a torrent of emails from a wide array of associates in President Donald Trump's orbit.

Hackers linked to Iran reportedly reached out to Reuters in an attempt to sell an email dump from various friends and foes of President Donald Trump.
Hackers linked to Iran reportedly reached out to Reuters in an attempt to sell an email dump from various friends and foes of President Donald Trump.  © Andrew CABALLERO-REYNOLDS / AFP

On Monday, Reuters reported that hackers under the pseudonym "Robert" recently chatted with the outlet, claiming they had over 100 gigabytes of emails from various individuals with connections to the president.

These included porn star Stormy Daniels, Trump's attorney Lindsey Halligan, Trump adviser Roger Stone, and the president's most trusted adviser and White House Chief of Staff Susie Wiles.

The group did not give any details as to what the emails contained, but expressed interest in selling the material.

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They also revealed their efforts were inspired by Trump's recent bombing of Iranian nuclear sites and disparaging remarks he's made about the country's leadership.

"Robert" is believed to be the same group of hackers that previously released a batch of emails during the 2024 presidential race.

US responds to hacker group targeting Trump

In response to the Reuters report, Marci McCarthy of the US Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency described the hackers as "a hostile foreign adversary" and dismissed their attack as "nothing more than digital propaganda."

McCarthy went on to call it a "smear campaign" meant to damage Trump and "discredit" his allies, and issued a stark warning against such adversaries.

"These criminals will be found, and they will be brought to justice," McCarthy added. "Let this be a warning to others, there will be no refuge, tolerance, or leniency for these actions."

Cover photo: Andrew CABALLERO-REYNOLDS / AFP

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