Anonymous OpTrump: Hackers launch 'total war' on Donald Trump in revenge for 'hateful' campaign

Some have dismissed the attacks, arguing that Anonymous is much less powerful than it once was

Anonymous hackers have vowed “total war” on Donald Trump and threatened to “dismantle his campaign”.

The group has posted a video asking supporters of the hacktivist group to attack Mr Trump’s campaign websites and conduct cyber attacks on the Republican hopeful.

Anonymous had already threatened war on Mr Trump in December, after his controversial comments about banning Muslims from the US. That campaign included cyber attacks on various websites, taking them down for just a few hours but causing no lasting damage.

It also claimed credit for hacking into Mr Trump's voicemail, and apparently leaking messages from journalists and supporters.

The group claimed that its new attacks would aim to bring Mr Trump’s campaign to an end.

"We need you to shut down his websites, to research and expose what he doesn't want the public to know. We need to dismantle his campaign and sabotage his brand.

“We are encouraging every able person with a computer to participate in this operation. This is not a warning, this is a declaration of total war. Donald Trump – it is too late to expect us."

The group posted a list of targets that should be taken down, which included corporate website trump.com and campaign site donaldjtrump.com. It intends to launch attacks on the sites on 1 April, the group said.

The attack has been launched because Mr Trump’s “inconsistent and hateful campaign has not only shocked the United States America, [but has] shocked the entire planet with your appalling actions and ideas”, a supporter of the group said in a video posted this week. The video was filmed in the usual style, showing a person with a Guy Fawkes mask and playing computer-generated audio.

Supporters of the group have taken to declaring “total war” on a range of subjects in recent months, including everything from Isis to the Japanese government. The new declaration was laughed off by some, including The Next Web site, which wrote that “Anonymous was once a group that inspired a nation by taking down those that were (arguably) worth the effort” but had since become “a running joke about Vitamin D deficient 30-somethings running around in Guy Fawkes masks”.