President Trump’s family and Biden aides also targeted by Chinese hacking

The targets of Chinese-linked hackers who broke into the telecommunications companies’ systems included members of former President Donald J. Trump’s family, as well as Biden administration and State Department officials, officials said.

This sophisticated hacking operation has alarmed national security officials and appears to have targeted a sizable but focused list of individuals whose communications may be of interest to the Chinese government. The list of known targets is now less than 100, the people said, speaking on condition of anonymity to discuss the sensitive ongoing investigation.

So far, the list of targeted phones includes devices used by celebrities, including Trump, his son Eric Trump, and son-in-law Jared Kushner. The list includes Vice President Kamala Harris’ campaign staff, as well as foreign affairs that are little known to the general public but would be of great interest to Chinese officials who want to know more about U.S. domestic policy decisions. This includes government and policy experts. people said. It is unclear what data, if any, was obtained from these individuals.

In a statement, Eric Trump tried to blame the Biden administration for hacking communications networks, saying, “Is anyone surprised by this?” Under Kamala and Biden, China roamed all over our country. ”

Kushner’s aides did not respond to emails seeking comment.

The Trump campaign was notified last week that the cellphones used by Trump and his running mate, Sen. J.D. Vance of Ohio, were the target of an intrusion into Verizon’s phone system. Other companies targeted by hackers have received similar notices from U.S. authorities.

Democratic lawmakers were also targeted, including aides to Majority Leader Chuck Schumer of New York, officials said.