Eric Trump took to X to mock his brother, Donald Trump Jr., after Don Jr's account was hacked. The hackers falsely announced the death of their father, former President Donald Trump.
The post claimed that Donald Trump had passed away and that Trump Jr. would be running for president in 2024:
“I’m sad to announce, my father Donald Trump has passed away. I will be running for president in 2024.”
You can see the post below.
@DonaldTrumpJr/Twitter
A spokesperson for the elder Trump confirmed that the posts were false and that Trump Jr.’s account had been hacked. The posts were subsequently removed, but news of the hacking spread on social media.
Andrew Surabien, a GOP strategist, said in a post on X that the "news" the former President died "is obviously not true."
Eric Trump soon after decided to roast his brother, humorously speculating about his brother’s password:
"What was @donaldtrumpjr password? Don2024?"
You can see his post below.
Others quickly joined in and the mockery was swift.
This incident is not the first time a member of the Trump family has been hacked and brings up new concerns regarding X's capacity to safeguard user profiles, particularly those of prominent political figures, as we approach the 2024 election.
In 2020, Dutch hacker Victor Gevers gained access to Donald Trump’s Twitter account, guessing the password was “maga2020!”. Nine years earlier, Gevers had hacked Trump’s account for the first time, using the password “yourefired,” a catchphrase from Trump’s time on The Apprentice.
X is currently being looked into by the Federal Trade Commission concerning its capability to safeguard user information and whether it may have breached the legally binding commitments it agreed to in 2011 to ensure the platform's security.
This inquiry initiated following a whistleblower disclosure by a former security chief who claimed there were widespread and unresolved security weaknesses.
Judd Legum (@juddlegum.bsky.social)
@SenTinaSmith/X; @elonmusk/X
@smith.senate.gov/BlueSky
@elonmusk/X
@mcrs987/X
