Suspected Russian plot used political cartoons to influence American voters
Social media users tied to Russia are using political cartoons to try to influence the outcome of tight electoral races ahead of the U.S. midterms, according to research provided exclusively to Bloomberg News.
Members of a Russian group accused of meddling in prior U.S. elections have pushed internet memes that promote right-wing conspiracy theories in a way that aims to undermine support for Democratic political candidates, according to the social media analysis firm Graphika Inc.
The users, who are associated with Russia’s Internet Research Agency, have promoted racist and inflammatory talking points in recent days about Democratic candidates including U.S. Sen. Raphael Warnock and gubernatorial candidate Stacey Abrams in Georgia, Gov. Kathy Hochul in New York, U.S. Senate candidate John Fetterman in Pennsylvania and U.S. Senate candidate Tim Ryan in Ohio, researchers found.
The campaign also promoted misleading Russian talking points, such as the idea that Ukraine is a Nazi state and the notion that the Biden administration — by lending aid to Ukraine — is contributing to a falling standard of living in America. [Continue reading…]