Staff Reports
Top U.S. intelligence experts are sending up red flags about foreign actors meddling in the upcoming presidential election, all stemming from the news that the Trump campaign has been hacked by none other than Iran. While some may roll their eyes at the mere mention of “hacks” in relation to Trump, it seems like Iranian interests are keen on sticking their noses into American politics once again.
In the grand tradition of the Democrats calling for transparency—albeit after they’ve lost their grip on power—Rep. Eric Swalwell has jumped on the bandwagon, demanding a briefing from the Department of Homeland Security regarding the hack. Swalwell’s love-hate relationship with Trump is as well-documented as the campaign’s issues with cybersecurity. He may think Trump is the worst thing to happen to U.S. politics since sliced bread fell off the table, yet he still admits that foreign interference is a bridge too far—even for a guy with a penchant for getting cozy with dubious foreign figures himself.
The drama thickens as Rep. Adam Schiff joins the chorus for more oversight. In a predictable twist, he pushes for the declassification of information concerning foreign meddling, clearly unaware that transparency doesn’t work well when many of his party’s ideas are run through a filter of selective optics. Details of the alleged hack emerged when some 271 pages of sensitive vetting documents about Trump’s running mate, Sen. J.D. Vance, made their way into the hands of Politico and The Washington Post, courtesy of an Iranian hacker. It’s almost like an espionage thriller, but instead of a dashing spy, it’s an unkempt operative lurking in a basement somewhere in Tehran.
No wonder Iran, who hates America and wants to destroy the USA, hacked Trump's campaign and released the hacks so as to harm him in the election. Kamala has been Iran's best advocate and supporter since she took office. Now Iran rigging election against Trump.
— Douglas Reimann (@dgvreiman) August 12, 2024
The experts have weighed in, and their findings aren’t reassuring. The Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency’s former chief noted that Iran might target less-than-reputable media sites to stoke chaos ahead of the election, especially since a chaotic election is where they thrive. When even Chris Krebs, who has likely spent too many nights tapping into the collective anxieties of 2020, suggests that the likes of “pink slime” sites could be part of the Iranian playbook, it’s clear they see that “fake news” can work in their favor—or at least in theirs alone.
Adding to the already bubbling pot of concern, Microsoft had recently flagged that Iran was gearing up to sway voters in critical swing states. The report even described some of these foreign theatrics that have turned into a not-so-subtle smear campaign against Trump—though one can only wonder if this rhetoric changes any minds or merely reinforces stereotypes on either side. At least one thing is clear: the situation is ripe for the Trump campaign to highlight their own vulnerabilities while making a case for stronger cybersecurity ahead of the 2024 election.
While the Democrats are preoccupied with diagnosing the moral failings of their opponents, one former Trump National Security employee made a point quite clear—given Iran’s history of targeting Trump and his allies, it’s no shocker they would hack the campaign. As this cyber theater unfolds, it appears the real comedy is the lengths to which left-leaning politicians will go to address issues that they often instigate themselves. And they thought “the Russians are coming” was the scare tactic of the century; little did they know the Iranians were warming up with their own, farcical version of “Guess Who’s Coming to Dinner—Again.”
