Photo : AP
Russian operatives have been linked to a viral video that falsely portrays mail-in ballots for Donald Trump being destroyed in Pennsylvania, according to U.S. officials. The alarming revelation comes as authorities prepare for increased scrutiny over foreign interference in the upcoming elections.
The controversial video, which has amassed millions of views on platforms like X, owned by Elon Musk, allegedly shows a man sorting through mail-in ballots from Bucks County and ripping up those votes cast for Trump. However, officials from the Bucks County Board of Elections quickly denounced the footage as “fake,” asserting that the materials depicted do not belong to them or originate from their distribution channels.
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In a joint statement issued on Friday, the Office of the Director of National Intelligence, along with the FBI and the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security, confirmed that the video is part of a Russian disinformation campaign. "Russian actors manufactured and amplified a recent video that falsely depicted an individual ripping up ballots in Pennsylvania," the statement read. They further elaborated that this activity is part of a broader Russian strategy to sow doubt about the integrity of the U.S. electoral process and to exacerbate divisions within American society.
The warning also noted that Russia is anticipated to release additional disinformation content aimed at undermining trust in the upcoming elections scheduled for November 5. This particular incident is taking place against a backdrop of heightened vigilance among American authorities as they brace for a potential surge in disinformation, especially in the final stretch of the high-stakes election featuring Republican nominee Trump and Democratic candidate Vice President Kamala Harris.
The video has also been fact-checked and debunked by independent organizations and has been linked to a Kremlin-aligned disinformation network known as Storm-1516. Researchers, including Darren Linvill, co-director of Clemson University's Media Forensics Hub, have identified the X account that spread the video as regularly amplifying narratives from this disinformation network.
Storm-1516 has a history of creating misleading videos aimed at discrediting political figures, including Harris and her running mate Tim Walz. A recent report from the Microsoft Threat Analysis Center highlighted that Russian operatives are escalating their disinformation efforts to malign Harris's campaign by disseminating conspiracy-driven content.
The threat of foreign influence is not confined to Russia alone; it has also been indicated that Iran and China are promoting divisive narratives aimed at eroding Americans' confidence in the democratic process. In a memo released earlier this week, it was cautioned that foreign influence operations are likely to intensify as Election Day approaches, with many social media posts possibly being AI-generated or enhanced.
The report concluded with a stark warning: "These actors probably perceive that undermining confidence in the elections weakens the legitimacy of our democracy and, consequently, makes the United States less capable of effectively pursuing policies that are counter to their interests."
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