• Home
  • Latest
  • Fortune 500
  • Finance
  • Tech
  • Leadership
  • Lifestyle
  • Rankings
  • Multimedia

Trendingnow

1

Jeff Bezos wants the bottom half of earners to pay zero income tax—he says nurses making just $75K should save $12K a year

2

Uber CEO says rideshare 'freed up' his son from having to get a driver’s license—and he's one of many Gen Zers who aren’t willing to drive

3

Inside the 'stealth wealth' playbook: How Silicon Valley's elite buy multimillion-dollar mansions without leaving a paper trail

1

Jeff Bezos wants the bottom half of earners to pay zero income tax—he says nurses making just $75K should save $12K a year

2

Uber CEO says rideshare 'freed up' his son from having to get a driver’s license—and he's one of many Gen Zers who aren’t willing to drive

3

Inside the 'stealth wealth' playbook: How Silicon Valley's elite buy multimillion-dollar mansions without leaving a paper trail
PoliticsDonald Trump

White House and Twitter deny hacker accessed Trump’s Twitter with password ‘maga2020!’

Robert Hackett
By
Robert Hackett
Robert Hackett
Down Arrow Button Icon
Robert Hackett
By
Robert Hackett
Robert Hackett
Down Arrow Button Icon
October 22, 2020, 4:09 PM ET

Victor Gevers, a Dutch security researcher, claims he commandeered President Trump’s Twitter account.

Gevers, a prolific online vulnerability hunter, said he accurately guessed Trump’s password after a handful of tries. He told Vrij Nederland, a Dutch magazine, that he gained entry after entering “maga2020!,” a reference to the Trump campaign’s Make America Great Again slogan.

Gevers said the account did not have two-factor authentication, a recommended measure for securing online accounts. If true, that means a hacker would need just the password—rather than, say, Trump’s phone—to gain control of the account.

Trump’s campaign team and the Department of Homeland Security’s Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Agency referred questions about the alleged incident to the White House.

When contacted for comment, Judd Deere, a deputy press secretary at the White House, strongly rejected the claim. “This is absolutely not true, but we don’t comment on security procedures around the President’s social media accounts,” Deere told Fortune.

A statement from Twitter makes Gevers’ claim seem even more dubious. “We’ve seen no evidence to corroborate this claim, including from the article published in the Netherlands today,” a spokesperson told Fortune. “We proactively implemented account security measures for a designated group of high-profile, election-related Twitter accounts in the United States, including federal branches of government.”

Last month, Gevers claimed to have hacked Trump’s Twitter account along with two associates in 2016. That boast, published in an earlier article by Vrij Nederland, alleged the since-changed password was “yourefired,” Trump’s catchphrase from his old reality TV show, The Apprentice.

Cybersecurity experts cautioned that the evidence to support Gevers’ claim was thin. That skepticism prompted Gevers to try hacking Trump’s account again, he said.

Fortune was unable to independently verify whether screenshots published by Vrij Nederland purporting to show Gevers’ access to Trump’s account were real or fabricated. Gevers did not reply to Fortune’s requests for comment.

Gevers is best known for having last year uncovered surveillance-related databases exposing information on millions of Uighurs, a persecuted ethnic minority in China. He pursues “white hat” research—finding and flagging security issues for companies to fix—through a Hague-based nonprofit organization he cofounded, called GDI Foundation.

When hackers hijacked a slew of high-profile Twitter accounts this summer, including those of Democratic presidential candidate Joe Biden, Tesla CEO Elon Musk, and Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos, Trump’s account remained notably untouched. Twitter said at the time that certain VIP accounts were equipped with extra protections.

“If ‘maga2020!’ is legit, using a password based on a term that you say on an almost daily basis in public is truly, hilariously dumb,” said Joy Howard, chief marketing officer at Dashlane, maker of a password management app. She advised that Trump “consider using random, unique passwords for every account.”

At a recent campaign rally in Arizona, Trump mocked a C-SPAN editor, Steve Scully, who was suspended after falsely claiming that his Twitter account had been hacked. Trump told the crowd, “Nobody gets hacked. To get hacked you need somebody with 197 IQ and he needs about 15% of your password.”

Trump’s businesses—and his Twitter account—were both breached in years past.

My Twitter has been seriously hacked— and we are looking for the perpetrators.

— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) February 21, 2013
About the Author
Robert Hackett
By Robert Hackett
Instagram iconLinkedIn iconTwitter icon
See full bioRight Arrow Button Icon

Latest in Politics

Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025

Most Popular

Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Fortune Secondary Logo
Rankings
  • 100 Best Companies
  • Fortune 500
  • Global 500
  • Fortune 500 Europe
  • Most Powerful Women
  • World's Most Admired Companies
  • See All Rankings
  • Lists Calendar
Sections
  • Finance
  • Fortune Crypto
  • Features
  • Leadership
  • Health
  • Commentary
  • Success
  • Retail
  • Mpw
  • Tech
  • Lifestyle
  • CEO Initiative
  • Asia
  • Politics
  • Conferences
  • Europe
  • Newsletters
  • Personal Finance
  • Environment
  • Magazine
  • Education
Customer Support
  • Frequently Asked Questions
  • Customer Service Portal
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms Of Use
  • Single Issues For Purchase
  • International Print
Commercial Services
  • Advertising
  • Fortune Brand Studio
  • Fortune Analytics
  • Fortune Conferences
  • Business Development
  • Group Subscriptions
About Us
  • About Us
  • Press Center
  • Work At Fortune
  • Terms And Conditions
  • Site Map
  • About Us
  • Press Center
  • Work At Fortune
  • Terms And Conditions
  • Site Map
  • Facebook icon
  • Twitter icon
  • LinkedIn icon
  • Instagram icon
  • Pinterest icon

Latest in Politics

Trump says ‘don’t listen to the losers’ after fellow Republicans warn he’s about to make a disastrous mistake with Iran ceasefire deal
PoliticsIran
Trump says ‘don’t listen to the losers’ after fellow Republicans warn he’s about to make a disastrous mistake with Iran ceasefire deal
By Darlene Superville, Matthew Daly and The Associated PressMay 24, 2026
15 hours ago
The more generous U.S. ceasefire terms are, the more suspicious Iran becomes they’re a ruse for another attack, expert says
PoliticsIran
The more generous U.S. ceasefire terms are, the more suspicious Iran becomes they’re a ruse for another attack, expert says
By Jason MaMay 24, 2026
18 hours ago
w
Personal FinanceWhite House
From Hobbes to the 14th amendment: the ancient and modern cases against Trump’s $1.8 billion fund
By Austin Sarat and The ConversationMay 24, 2026
20 hours ago
mark
Travel & LeisureAirline industry
The travel industry has been taking body blows. Here comes an airport ‘sanctuary city’ crackdown
By Josh Funk, Rio Yamat and The Associated PressMay 24, 2026
20 hours ago
Britain’s navy is preparing to clear mines in the Strait of Hormuz — but only once a U.S.-Iran peace agreement is reached
PoliticsIran
Britain’s navy is preparing to clear mines in the Strait of Hormuz — but only once a U.S.-Iran peace agreement is reached
By Emma Burrows and The Associated PressMay 24, 2026
21 hours ago
Under emerging deal with U.S., Iran’s uranium, sanctions relief, and release of frozen funds would be negotiated during a 60-day window
PoliticsIran
Under emerging deal with U.S., Iran’s uranium, sanctions relief, and release of frozen funds would be negotiated during a 60-day window
By Samy Magdy, Melanie Lidman and The Associated PressMay 24, 2026
21 hours ago

Most Popular

Jeff Bezos wants the bottom half of earners to pay zero income tax—he says nurses making just $75K should save $12K a year
Success
Jeff Bezos wants the bottom half of earners to pay zero income tax—he says nurses making just $75K should save $12K a year
By Preston ForeMay 21, 2026
4 days ago
Uber CEO says rideshare 'freed up' his son from having to get a driver’s license—and he's one of many Gen Zers who aren’t willing to drive
Lifestyle
Uber CEO says rideshare 'freed up' his son from having to get a driver’s license—and he's one of many Gen Zers who aren’t willing to drive
By Sasha RogelbergMay 24, 2026
23 hours ago
Inside the 'stealth wealth' playbook: How Silicon Valley's elite buy multimillion-dollar mansions without leaving a paper trail
Real Estate
Inside the 'stealth wealth' playbook: How Silicon Valley's elite buy multimillion-dollar mansions without leaving a paper trail
By Sydney LakeMay 24, 2026
1 day ago
Indeed chief economist says we’re entering an era of ‘great mismatch’ thanks to a generational imbalance of workers
Success
Indeed chief economist says we’re entering an era of ‘great mismatch’ thanks to a generational imbalance of workers
By Emma BurleighMay 22, 2026
3 days ago
This 39-year-old quit his lineman job during the pandemic and built a $50 million company in his backyard
Success
This 39-year-old quit his lineman job during the pandemic and built a $50 million company in his backyard
By Nick LichtenbergMay 23, 2026
2 days ago
Bolt CEO says he let go of his entire HR team for creating problems that didn’t exist: ‘Those problems disappeared when I let them go’ 
Workplace Culture
Bolt CEO says he let go of his entire HR team for creating problems that didn’t exist: ‘Those problems disappeared when I let them go’ 
By Preston ForeMay 19, 2026
6 days ago

© 2026 Fortune Media IP Limited. All Rights Reserved. Use of this site constitutes acceptance of our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy | CA Notice at Collection and Privacy Notice | Do Not Sell/Share My Personal Information
FORTUNE is a trademark of Fortune Media IP Limited, registered in the U.S. and other countries. FORTUNE may receive compensation for some links to products and services on this website. Offers may be subject to change without notice.