Trump Family Members and Biden Aides Among China Hack Targets

Members of former President Donald J. Trump’s family, as well as Biden administration and State Department officials, were among those targeted by the China-linked hackers who were able to break into telecommunications company systems, according to people familiar with the matter.

The sophisticated hacking operation has alarmed national security officials and appears to have targeted a substantial but focused list of people whose communications would be of interest to the Chinese government. The list of known targets is currently fewer than 100 individuals, these people said, speaking on condition of anonymity to describe a sensitive ongoing investigation.

So far, the list of targeted phones includes devices used by high-profile people, including Mr. Trump, his son Eric Trump and his son-in-law Jared Kushner. The list also includes members of Vice President Kamala Harris’s campaign staff, as well as diplomatic, government and policy experts who are largely unknown to the general public but would hold significant interest to Chinese officials eager to learn more about internal U.S. policy-making, these people said. It is unclear what, if any, data was taken from those individuals.

In a statement, Eric Trump sought to blame the Biden administration for the hacking of the telecommunications networks, saying, “Does this surprise anyone? Under Kamala and Biden, China has walked all over our country.”

An aide to Mr. Kushner did not respond to an email seeking comment.

The Trump campaign team was notified last week that phones used by Mr. Trump and his running mate, Senator JD Vance of Ohio, were among those targeted through the infiltration of Verizon phone systems. Others targeted by the hackers have been receiving similar notifications from U.S. authorities.

Democrats, including an aide to Senator Chuck Schumer of New York, the majority leader, were also targeted, the people said.