Dispatch from the Disinformation War
Losing the Debate & Sparking Hate
Anatomy of a Disinformation Campaign
Kamala Harris met Donald Trump for the first time this week for a nationally televised presidential debate. They hadn’t met before because Trump famously refused to execute the peaceful transfer of power. Now, we’re in the midst of one of the most dangerous disinformation campaigns to date.
The Debate
On Tuesday night, Kamala Harris introduced herself to the 67 million Americans who tuned in, laid out several of her economic plans, and delivered countless meme-able verbal smackdowns to the man who has disrespected the office and us for too long.
One of my favorite moments was this one below, when her absolute disgust for Trump’s constant habit of getting in bed with the criminal element overflowed, and it looked like some version of “mofo” was about to come out of her mouth.
Post Debate Reaction
In the days since the debate, Democrats are avidly sharing clips of it on social media. The Harris campaign put out a new “ad,” which is the debate in its entirety.
Zing!
Harris offered to debate again within minutes of the first one ending. Trump said he doesn’t want to.
Republicans, rather than admit he lost, have gone so far as to claim that she got the questions ahead of time, or that the moderators “helped her” by fact-checking Trump’s lies, despite the fact that they gave him more time and more instances to talk.
In the name of all that is holy, please explain to me how someone running for President wouldn’t be prepared to answer questions on the economy, immigration, and world affairs.
They also spread a conspiracy that the earrings Harris wore were secretly earpieces so her “handlers” could feed her answers.
And my personal favorite post-debate excuse for her handing him his ass, witchcraft:
“They’re Eating the dogs! They’re Eating the cats!”
I, along with everyone else watching this debate, squealed with laughter at the former President, who looked like an unhinged lunatic when he yelled this into his microphone on the debate stage.
Here’s one of the many social media takes on this funny moment. I especially enjoyed the cats and dogs that make an appearance in this video.
However, it’s important to understand precisely how this happened and the deadly consequences of the aftermath.
Back Up: The Russians AGAIN!?
Just days before the debate, the Department of Justice unveiled new indictments against Russian spies. The agents set up a Kremlin-owned and operated media company in Tennessee and hired a bunch of MAGA podcasters to push their message.
The podcasters were paid $100,000 per podcast episode, outrageously more than market value. The indictments also hinted that more is coming, that roughly 600 media personalities are operating in the United States, backed by illicit foreign funding.
And that the same vile, divisive rhetoric was being pumped into Canada’s media by Russian actors as well.
And that, together with our allies in Canada and the UK, we are working to bring the entire disinformation network down.
Gulp.
Have I mentioned I believe we are living through a world war? Our first hybrid war?
The panic among MAGA media world was palpable. Prominent podcaster Dan Bongino cautioned everyone to be careful who they talked to so they didn’t accidentally implicate others.
Interesting that he didn’t caution them to avoid taking dirty money, just to not get caught.
The tactics of this Kremlin operation include using networks of fake websites and social media accounts that amplify false claims and inject them into our online conversations. They use the most polarizing political topics, such as immigration, crime, and the war in Gaza.
“I Get To Help the Country Attacking Us? SIGN ME UP!”
Despite this enlightening development about our civic discourse, Trump’s VP pick, JD Vance, who is a current Senator from Ohio, posted this on the morning of the debate.
“Border Czar” is a made-up term by the right wing. No such position exists in our federal government, nor is there anyone who serves in any role with this nickname. Kamala Harris has never been in charge of operations at the US border.
The Republican House Judiciary Committee’s Twitter account wasted no time in boosting the conspiracy theory further with this post twenty minutes later:
Countless trolls and bots swarmed the story, adding escalating dehumanizing rhetoric, all with the message that immigration is bad, Harris is bad, Democrats are bad, and America is in shambles.
Immediately, journalists began looking into Springfield, Ohio, and they could find no credible reports of any problems with immigrants eating pets.
Here’s what they did find.
Haitians in Springfield
What the extremists don’t want you to know is that Springfield, a town that was nearly decimated by economic decline, is now coming back to life.
Springfield Mayor Rob Rue emphasized that, despite the challenges the city faces with the rapid influx of immigrants, the Haitian community has played a significant role in revitalizing Springfield’s economy and labor force.
Rue and other local officials highlighted how these new residents have contributed positively, especially by filling job vacancies and stimulating the local economy, which had been struggling due to industrial decline in the past.
Before the influx of Haitian immigrants, Springfield experienced population decline and a shrinking labor force. Factories closed or downsized, leaving many positions unfilled as local residents either left in search of better opportunities or struggled to meet the qualifications for available jobs in new industries.
As the local population dwindled, housing demand fell sharply, leading to an oversupply of available homes. Properties became vacant and fell into disrepair.
The arrival of Haitian immigrants helped address both of these issues, contributing to the revitalization of the local economy.
Jamie McGregor, the CEO of McGregor Metal in Springfield, Ohio, expressed his appreciation for the Haitian workforce, stating in an interview that he wished he had more workers like the Haitians.
This doesn’t mean, of course, that this rapid change doesn’t have a painful effect on the infrastructure of a town. The city’s population was 82,000 at its peak in the 1960s and dwindled to about 55,000 before the Haitians arrived.
Today, the city’s population is about 60,000 people, about 12,000–15,000 of them legal immigrants from Haiti. Such a dramatic shift in population numbers is bound to cause a cultural convergence and a strain on resources, and those are legitimate and valid things to discuss.
No one is discussing that, or at least, they can’t be heard over the noise of hate for these immigrants.
There are Republican supermajorities in the Ohio House and Senate. I can find no evidence that they have ever discussed Haitian migration to their state.
And the Terrorism Begins
Following MAGA world’s outright rhetorical assault on the Haitians in Springfield, the city has had three straight days of bomb threats this week. The Mayor says the threats included hateful language about the Haitians.
City Hall had to be evacuated.
The elementary school had to be evacuated.
The city’s two hospitals had to be evacuated.
Residents have had their windows smashed and acid thrown on their cars.
Residents say they’re keeping their children indoors due to fear.
Despite the debunking of the disgusting “pet eating” accusation, the trolls and bots doubled down. Trolls shared videos of neo-Nazis disparaging the Haitians as “proof” that local citizens are complaining.
After their rhetoric caused these bomb threats, Trump promised, “We will do large deportations from Springfield, Ohio.”
The worst part? Vance is their Senator in Ohio. He’s inflicting this terror on his own constituents.
How I hope the worst is over for the citizens of Springfield.
And how I fear it isn’t.
A Worldwide Phenomenon
In the UK, a tragic stabbing happened at a children’s dance class in late July, in which a British-born citizen killed three children and injured many more people.
Neo-Nazi groups and other far-right extremists eagerly spread disinformation, claiming that the killer was a Muslim immigrant, sparking anger and suspicion. They even gave their boogeyman a fake Muslim name.
The very next day, anti-immigrant protests erupted and continued for days. Demonstrators attacked a mosque. More than 50 officers were injured. They targeted hotels housing asylum seekers and immigrant-owned businesses.
Large counter-protests in several cities, led by anti-racist groups, outnumbered the far-right protesters and helped curb further violence.
Let’s hope it doesn’t get to this here.
Anatomy of a Disinformation Operation
How did this particular disinformation operation begin?
On August 16th, police in Canton, Ohio arrested an American woman alleged to have eaten a cat.
A local neo-Nazi group used this story to start spreading the rumor that Haitians in Springfield were eating animals. They used clips from the Canton Police Department’s bodycam video of the August 16th arrest and claimed it was really a Haitian immigrant being arrested.
This disinformation was then amplified by members of the Blood Tribe, a neo-Nazi group that had marched in Springfield carrying swastika flags, protesting Haitian migrants.
Despite having the resources and intelligence briefings of a US Senator, JD Vance saw an opportunity and chose to spread the message of these neo-Nazis deliberately.
Remember the Stakes
The evidence laid out in the indictments against former President Trump is the most serious we’ve ever seen in our country’s history.
He’s trying to stay out of prison.
JD Vance said in 2021 on the Viva Frei podcast that he believes America is still battling the Civil War, and that he’s on the side of the Confederacy.
It’s going to get worse between now and election day.
As these disinformation campaigns intensify, it’s up to us to fight back. We can’t afford to let extremists dictate the future of our country. The stakes have never been higher — so make your plan to vote and ensure your voice is heard.
You’re reading a story from my America This Week Series. You can read more stories in this series here.
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