Donald Trump has reacted angrily over allegations conservative media figures were being paid by Russian money in an effort to interfere with this year’s U.S. presidential election.
The Biden administration is to sanction 10 individuals and entities while seizing 32 internet domains in an effort to combat Russian attempts to interfere with this year’s election.
Trump railed against the Department of Justice on Thursday suggesting Russia‘s President Vladimir Putin would rather have Kamala Harris in the White House this November.
‘Comrade Kamala Harris and her Department of Justice are trying to interfere in and suppress the Election in favor of the Democrats by resurrecting the Russia, Russia, Russia Hoax, and trying to say that Russia is trying to help me, which is absolutely FALSE,’ wrote Trump in his post.
‘In fact, President Putin would much rather see Comrade Kamala Harris in Office, as he strongly said just this morning. Why aren’t they looking into … all of the other Enemies of the People that had such an effect on the 2020 Election, and are trying to Rig and Steal the 2024 Presidential Election.’
Trump’s comments to his Truth Social came after an indictment filed Wednesday alleged how a media company linked to six conservative influencers was secretly funded by Russian state media employees to churn out English-language videos that were ‘often consistent’ with the Kremlin’s ‘interest in amplifying U.S. domestic divisions in order to weaken U.S. opposition’ to Russian interests, like its war in Ukraine.
Those allegedly involved include well-known personalities Tim Pool, Dave Rubin and Benny Johnson and between them have millions of followers online. All have been major players in right-wing political discourse since Trump was president.
According to the indictment, right-wing provocateur Lauren Chen and her husband both conspired to conceal the source of Tenet’s funding from others.
The bombshell indictment also went on to accuse RT employees Konstantin Kalashnikov and Elena of Afanasyeva of implementing a plan to shell out nearly $10million to the Tennessee-based company to churn out videos ‘consistent’ with the Kremlin’s ‘interest in amplifying U.S. domestic divisions.’
Sanctions were also slapped on its top editors Margarita Simonyan and her deputy Elizaveta Brodskaia after Washington accused them of trying to influence the upcoming US ballot.
Simonyan was a ‘central figure in Russian government malign influence efforts,’ the Treasury Department said, while Brodskaia ‘reported to Russian President Putin and other government officials’, officials said.
After the indictments were announced, both Pool and Johnson issued statements on social media, which Rubin retweeted, saying they were victims of the alleged crimes and had done nothing wrong.
‘We still do not know what is true as these are only allegations,’ Pool said. ‘Putin is a scumbag.’
In his post, Johnson wrote that he had been asked a year ago to provide content to a ‘media startup.’ He said his lawyers negotiated a ‘standard, arms length deal, which was later terminated.’
The indictment shows that some of the influencers were paid handsomely for their work. One unidentified influencer’s contract included a $400,000 monthly fee, a $100,000 signing bonus and an additional performance bonus.
In response, the Kremlin said it will take retaliatory action against American news outlets and accused the U.S. of purging any dissenting voices from the global media landscape and to stoke fears among US voters about Russia as a mythical external enemy.
In February, Putin backed Biden over Trump, calling the current president more ‘predictable’. The White House called on Putin to ‘stay out’ of US elections but on Thursday, a smirking Putin said he supported Kamala Harris.
‘Firstly, (US President Joe) Biden recommended all his supporters support Mrs Harris,’ Putin said during a question and answer session at Russia’s Eastern Economic Forum in Vladivostok.
‘Here, we are going to do that too, we’re going to support her,’ he added, with a wry smile.
‘She laughs so contagiously that it shows that everything is fine with her,’ the Russian leader said, as members of the public laughed.
‘(Former US President Donald) Trump has imposed as many sanctions on Russia as any president has ever imposed before, and if Harris is doing well, perhaps she will refrain from such actions.’
It comes after US officials with the Office of the Director of National Intelligence in Washington confirmed in July the existence of the Russian plan to install ex President Donald Trump in the White House.
Putin authorized influence operations to help Trump in the 2020 election, while his 2016 campaign benefited from hacking by Russian intelligence officers and a covert social media effort, according to U.S. law enforcement and intelligence officials.
With the decline of traditional media like newspapers and limits on direct advertising on social media platforms, influencers are increasingly playing a key role in politics and shaping public opinion.
Both the Republican and Democratic parties invited scores of influencers to their respective national conventions this summer.
But with little to no disclosure requirements about who is funding influencers’ work, the public is largely in the dark about who is powering the messaging online.
