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US intelligence officials have claimed that Russia was behind a disinformation campaign aimed at undermining Democratic vice presidential nominee Tim Walz.
Let’s bring you up to speed: Last week, claims circulated widely on social media accusing Democratic vice presidential nominee Tim Walz of misconduct during his time as a high school teacher and football coach. These allegations included a video purportedly featuring a former student accusing Walz of inappropriate behavior, which was shared by a QAnon-linked account on X. A few days after the video was circulating, the Washington Post interviewed the actual former student, who confirmed that the incident never occurred and that the man in the video was an imposter. Various outlets also identified inconsistencies in other posts, including a supposed email from a victim, which appeared to be digitally manipulated. Despite being proven false, the video and associated claims amassed millions of views before being removed by Meta, X, and TikTok.
What US intelligence is saying: During a briefing, an official from the Office of the Director of National Intelligence said, “The intelligence community assesses that Russian influence actors created and amplified content alleging inappropriate activity committed by the Democratic vice presidential candidate during his earlier career.” The official added, “Foreign actors, particularly Russia, Iran, and China, remain intent on fanning divisive narratives to divide Americans and undermine Americans’ confidence in the US democratic system. These activities are consistent with what these actors perceive to be in their interests, even as their tactics continue to evolve.”
Digging deeper: US intelligence officials have previously alluded that Russia is believed to be favoring Donald Trump and is using disinformation campaigns and manipulated content to undermine the Democratic ticket of Kamala Harris and Tim Walz. In contrast, Iran is focused on undermining Trump, favoring Harris by spreading disinformation targeting Trump and his campaign. While not aligned with either presidential candidate, China is focusing on influencing down-ballot races and generally sowing distrust in the US democratic process.
Harris campaign reacts: Morgan Finkelstein, a spokeswoman for the Harris-Walz campaign, told the Wall Street Journal, “Vladimir Putin wants Donald Trump to win because he knows Trump will roll over and give him anything he wants. We condemn in the strongest terms any effort by foreign actors to interfere in US elections.”
