Andy Burnham Says He Is Not Embarrassed Over Texting Fake Trump Aide

Andy Burnham has said he is “not embarrassed” over texting someone who was pretending to be Donald Trump’s chief of staff.

The prime minister was in contact with an impersonator claiming to be Susie Wiles, a top aide to the US president, before he became suspicious.

Asked by broadcasters if he was embarrassed by the error on Tuesday, Burnham said: “No I’m not, because there was a minimal exchange, nothing of consequence and actually quickly I realised this needed to be reported so I did so.

“I handled it in the right way. All politicians are receiving these pressures and these challenges but I did everything right.

“It was a minimal exchange of zero consequence and it was quickly reported.”

He said the “correct action” is being taken in the UK and the US in response to the incident.

After news outlet Politico revealed the error on Monday, the UK embassy in Washington raised the issue with the White House.

Wiles’s phone has been hacked in the past but, according to Politico, this matter was not related.

When asked about the incident, Trump appeared unperturbed, telling reporters he was sure Burnham “had a miscommunication”.

Burnham is not the only British politician to fall victim to prank calls.

Then foreign secretary David Cameron thought he was talking to ex-Ukrainian president Petro Poroshenko in 2024 but the Foreign Office later claimed it was an attempt from Russian imposters.

Tony Blair was also pranked while in office in 1998 by impressionist Jon Culshaw who posed as then-leader of the opposition Lord William Hague.

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