Manchester's mayor Andy Burnham has confirmed he was tricked by a hoaxer posing as a senior aide to Donald Trump, but has rejected suggestions the episode has left him humiliated. The prankster, impersonating a member of the US president's inner circle, managed to engage Burnham in correspondence or conversation before the deception was uncovered, drawing attention because of Burnham's prominent political profile and any comments he may have made while believing he was dealing with a genuine White House figure.

Burnham has publicly pushed back against characterisations of the incident as embarrassing, insisting he is untroubled by having been fooled. The hoax adds to a wider pattern of high-profile figures being targeted by impersonators claiming links to the Trump administration, raising questions about how public figures verify the identity of those claiming to represent the White House before engaging with them.