President Biden Takes Action Against Russian Election Interference
Yesterday, President Biden announced that Russia has been participating in a sustained campaign to influence our 2024 Election.
Revealing the Kremlin’s Efforts
CNN reported that Biden would reveal the Kremlin-led effort in remarks Wednesday. The president was expected to announce Department of Justice actions to combat Russia’s covert election subversion program.
Russian state media outlet RT and American Voices were being used to launder the disinformation, the report said.
CNN said the actions were Biden’s “most significant public response yet to alleged Russian influence operations targeting American voters.”
Sanctions and Accusations
Sources told the network that Social Design Agency, a Russian company, has already been sanctioned for running fake news websites in Europe.
In July, the DOJ accused an RT employee of spreading disinformation by posing as U.S. residents with 1,000 social media accounts.
Russia was also found to have conducted a misinformation campaign assisting Donald Trump’s election in 2016.
Expert Opinions
Olivia Troye, a former national security adviser to Mike Pence, said that “Russia’s interference in our elections is an alarming threat to the heart of our democracy.”
“Foreign powers manipulating our electoral process weakens our sovereignty, undermines public trust, and exposes us to disinformation that can tear apart the fabric of our nation, which is their goal,” she added on Wednesday.
Fox News’ Reaction
Now, to anyone conscious, this shouldn’t be shocking at all. But to Fox News, they immediately doubted the report and assigned negative motives to it.
On Wednesday, Fox News host Harris Faulkner confirmed that Biden intended to address Russia’s “sustained effort” to influence the 2024 presidential election by using state-run media.
“Why is that suddenly a concern now?” Faulkner complained to Fox News contributor Steve Hilton.
The Importance of Addressing Foreign Influence
Because we’re in the middle of an election. Because foreign influence is bad. Foreign influence in the middle of an election is Mega Bad. That would seem obvious, but magically not to Fox.
“That’s the truth about all of this in this world that we live in today, which is you have Iran doing this, you have China doing this, and frankly, we do it to other countries as well,” Hilton replied, dismissing the concerns.
Hilton insisted that the Biden-Harris administration was making the announcement “because they know that plays to their base.”
It does what? Its a political play to announce our elections are being attacked by Russia?
“I don’t know the specific details,” he admitted.
Hilton said that similar warnings about Russia’s influence in the 2016 election amounted to “total lies and disinformation.”
Mueller Investigation Findings
No, it didn’t. Mueller indicted 25 Russians. 8 of Trump’s associates were indicted, prosecuted and convicted. 5 of them for lying under oath about communicating with Russians. Mueller had 10 counts of obstruction against Trump but Bill Barr short-circuited all that by dropping those charges, dropping the case against the Russians for no good reason and then falsely declaring that there was “no collusion” when there certainly was.
“So, I’m not saying there’s nothing to this, but we know that everybody does it,” he scoffed.
No, they don’t.
Hunter Biden Laptop Controversy
Faulkner complained that former intelligence officials had discounted “the Hunter Biden laptop” as possible Russian disinformation.
The CIA general assessment was that Hunter’s laptop was likely compromised because Burisma was hacked by the GRU. They felt that the emails and data on that system might be compromised and tampered with — so they raised a legitimate alarm.
Distrust in American Agencies
Instead of focusing on Russia, Hilton cast doubt on American law enforcement and intelligence agencies.
“Because of the way that they’ve behaved, the FBI, the CIA, the Department of Justice, all these people over the years, we now know, totally biased and in the tank and trying to both stop Trump from being elected and once he was elected to undermine his administration,” he said. “That means that we no longer trust them.”
Oh, so all this is just a bogus attack on Trump? He’s a poor little innocent victim of Biden? Again? This is just partisan hackery?
Continued Fox News Criticism
Right, so was Faulkner just a one-off? Nope. Not at all, now you also have Jesse Watter busting a nut to still complain that it’s “Still a Hoax.” “Everybody does this.” And “anything anyone says about Record Inflation, Threat of Crime from people of Color and immigrants, or DEI” could be Russian propaganda. How do we know that Trump spokesmans aren’t just “Russian cutouts” who need to be surveilled?
Watters claims that the DOJ Inspector General “debunked” the case, but what he actually said is that the investigation was completely valid and that Peter Strzok and Lisa Page were innocent of any partisan bias.
DOJ Actions Against RT Employees
Within this framework, as to the specific investigative and prosecutorial decisions we reviewed, we did not find documentary or testimonial evidence that improper considerations, including political bias, directly affected those specific investigative decisions, in part because the decisions were made by the larger Midyear team or the prosecutors.
Yeah, it didn’t take long after that for the next hammer to fall as AG Garland came out with a little news.
Garland: We unsealed an indictment of two Russian based employees of RT. A Russian state-controlled media outlet. They are charged with conspiring to commit money laundering and to violate the Foreign Agents Registration Act.
Two RussiaToday employees were indicted this week by the Justice Department which claimed they deployed nearly $10 million to circulate RT-curated content which garnered millions of views through an online content creation company.
Commentators claimed the company the DOJ points to, but which it doesn’t name, is a pro-Republican group where hosts openly promote Donald Trump.
“That company — TENET Media, which is not mentioned by name in the indictment — includes a constellation of well-known right-wing influencers, including Tim Pool, Dave Rubin and Benny Johnson, among others,” The Independent wrote.
Influencers and Russian Funding
So you’re saying that RT used a shell company to funnel $10 Million to Tim Pool, Benny Johnson and Dave Rubin?
Maybe that’s why Tim has been willing to produce content like this.
“Ukraine is the enemy of this country, being funded by the Democrats.”
“I sure am looking at this Junior clip with Tim Pool with a fresh set of eyes now!”
“And you wondered why we had no respect for Tim Pool and Benny Johnson (and the others). They were earning $400k a month for producing just four videos a week. Here is what was expected of them. We’re supposed to believe they didn’t know it was Russia.”
Yeah, that was yesterday. This is Tim Pool today.
Uh huh. Continued.
Trump and Russian Propaganda
Pool interviewed Trump for his podcast where they spoke about, among other topics, the Russian invasion of Ukraine and how it could “lead to World War III.”
Trump also pledged that he would give “serious consideration” to pardoning Julian Assange. Both of those are “favorite themes of Russian propaganda efforts,” said one X account confirmed by legal analysts as operated by a former CIA lawyer.
The Independent wrote, “RT employees helped publish nearly 2,000 English-language videos on TikTok, Instagram, X and YouTube, where they have racked up 16 million views, according to prosecutors.”
The media company claimed it was getting the cash from a “private investor,” who was actually a “fictitious persona,” Attorney General Merrick Garland said in the indictment.
It isn’t thought the company’s owners or employees knew Russia was funding the efforts.
Impact on Social Media
So support for Assange, attacks on Ukraine, Transgender Rights, “
FAQs on the Russia-Russia-Russia Hoax
The recent article on Daily Kos discusses how the term “Russia-Russia-Russia” has been used to describe a perceived hoax or conspiracy theory. Here are some frequently asked questions and their answers:
What is the Russia-Russia-Russia hoax?
The Russia-Russia-Russia hoax refers to the widespread belief that various events, including the 2016 US presidential election interference and subsequent investigations, were exaggerated or fabricated to create a narrative about Russian involvement.
Who coined the term “Russia-Russia-Russia”?
The term “Russia-Russia-Russia” is often attributed to former President Donald Trump, who used it during his presidency to describe what he perceived as a hoax or conspiracy theory surrounding Russian interference in the 2016 election.
What is the Kremlin’s role in this hoax?
The article suggests that the Kremlin has exploited the narrative by using it to their advantage. By creating confusion and skepticism about the extent of Russian involvement, they may have inadvertently served their own interests.
How have people reacted to the hoax?
Public reaction has been mixed. Some people believe that the narrative was indeed exaggerated or fabricated, while others see it as a genuine attempt to uncover Russian interference in democratic processes.
What are the implications of this hoax?
The implications are significant. If the hoax is believed to be true, it could undermine trust in institutions and investigations into foreign interference. Conversely, if it is seen as a genuine concern, it could lead to increased scrutiny of Russian activities.
How has media coverage influenced public perception?
Media coverage has played a crucial role in shaping public perception. Some outlets have amplified the narrative, while others have questioned its validity. This mixed coverage has contributed to widespread confusion and debate.
What role do politicians play in perpetuating or debunking the hoax?
Politicians have been instrumental in shaping public opinion on this issue. Those who deny or downplay Russian interference have been accused of perpetuating the hoax, while those who emphasize its significance are seen as credible voices.
How does this hoax relate to broader geopolitical tensions between the US and Russia?
The hoax is deeply intertwined with broader geopolitical tensions. By questioning the extent of Russian interference, some argue that it undermines efforts to address real security threats posed by Russia.
What are potential consequences for national security if the hoax is believed to be true?
If the hoax is believed to be true, it could lead to complacency regarding national security threats from Russia. This could result in inadequate measures being taken to protect against future interference or espionage activities.
How can individuals verify information about Russian interference in elections?
Individuals can verify information by consulting credible sources such as official government reports, reputable news outlets, and academic research. It is also important to critically evaluate sources for bias and credibility.
What steps can be taken to address misinformation surrounding Russian interference?
To address misinformation, it is crucial to promote fact-based reporting and critical thinking. Encouraging transparency from politicians and media outlets while supporting independent investigations can help clarify the situation.
