Anonymous declares war on Trump, hacks site

Hacktivist group Anonymous has declared war on US Presidential hopeful Donald Trump after he issued statements saying that he would ban all Muslims from the US.

In a video, posted on YouTube late on Wednesday, the group says that it is warning Donald Trump to end anti-Muslim rhetoric.

“This policy is going to have a huge impact,” the unidentified person in the video says in a heavily computerised voice done to shield their identity. “This is what ISIS [the Islamic State group] wants. The more Muslims feel sad, the more ISIS feels they can recruit them. The more the United States appears to be targeting Muslims, not just radical Muslims, you can be sure that ISIS will be putting that on their social media campaign.”

Social media accounts linked to Anonymous, posted images suggesting that the hackers were trying to overload the Trump Tower website by sending it a large number of requests. Some media reports suggest the site was down for around an hour, with the #OpTrump hashtag now being used to promote Anonymous’ anti-Trump campaign online.

It is unclear what or if there will be any further action from Anonymous, although this is not the first time they have taken aim at the property mogul who is currently the frontrunner in the Republican Party primaries.

Back in August, a group of Anonymous hacktivist apparently broken into Donald Trump’s corporate website to leave a tribute to The Daily Show host Jon Stewart on a defaced page.

“Mr Stewart, we at @TelecomixCanada would like to take this opportunity to thank you for the many happy years of quality journalism and entertainment you and your team have undertaken at Comedy Central,” reads a letter on Trump's site.

“Know, Sir, that your steadfast dedication to the irony and power of Truth has inspired a generation.”

“We are writing you today via Mr Trump's website because … the only way to get anyone to pay attention any more is to grease a Presidential candidate's website,” the statement added.

In other Trump news on Friday, footage of actor Harrison Ford reacting to praise by Republican White House hopeful Donald Trump for his patriotic performance in the film "Air Force One" went viral.

In the 1997 flick, Ford plays a US president who stands up to terrorists after they hijack his flight.

"I love Harrison Ford - and not just because he rents my properties. He stood up for America," the billionaire real estate mogul and GOP presidential frontrunner recently told The New York Times of Ford's character. 

In an interview on Wednesday with Australia's "Studio 10" morning show, a semiserious Ford shot back.

"It's a movie. Donald, it was a movie!" Ford said, looking straight into the camera with a slight smile on his face.

"It's not like this in real life. But how would you know?"

Anonymous have also declared Friday Anti-ISIS Day of Rage, calling on people to troll Islamic State group accounts with the hashtag #Daeshbags, a reference to Daesh, the Arabic acronym for IS.