More lies and conspiracy theories are reportedly coming to Americans from the Kremlin. Russia has long been accused of sowing division and now it’s being discovered that those efforts appear to be ramping up ahead of the Nov. 5 U.S. presidential election.
A study released on Thursday, Oct. 24, shows Russia has been spreading misinformation about recent hurricanes in the United States and the federal government’s response. It’s reportedly part of an ongoing effort to meddle in the country’s political debates.
Researchers say that Russian state media, social media accounts and websites are all involved. They said the groups are trying to frame the federal response to Hurricanes Helene and Milton in a negative light. They believe the goal is to show American leaders as incompetent or corrupt.
The London-based organization behind the study said this is how Moscow disinformation groups infiltrate U.S. households, by taking advantage of polarizing issues to cast doubt on the American government and each other.
Melanie Smith, the director of the research group, said disinformation actors capitalize on natural disasters by “simply pouring gasoline on fires that already exist.”
The false claims nclude false assertions that the Federal Emergency Mangement Agency (FEMA) is diverting funds to aid migrants and conspiracy theories of government weather manipulation.
The conspiracy theories may have serious consequences as well. One man who was arrested for threatening FEMA workers in North Carolina said he was motivated by false social media claims that the agency was withholding supplies from Hurricane Helene victims.
Analysts believe that Russia’s war against Ukraine is the main motivator for spreading lies. They note that if Russia can convince enough Americans to oppose U.S. support of Kyiv, Moscow’s path to victory in Ukraine gets much easier.
