The United States Department of Justice recently unsealed an indictment accusing a Tennessee-based company, believed to be Tenet Media, of accepting millions of dollars from the Russian state-owned media outlet RT and promoting pro-Russia propaganda and disinformation on social media to US audiences. The indictment named high-profile right-wing influencers such as Dave Rubin, Lauren Southern, and Tim Pool, who denied being accomplices.
A faction of Republicans, including presidential candidate Donald Trump, are calling to scale down or halt aid to Ukraine, which would advantage Russia in the conflict. This has caused tension within both the Democratic and Republican parties.
In response to the indictments, the US Treasury imposed sanctions on RT and indicted Russian-born former Trump adviser Dimitri Simes for allegedly working on behalf of another sanctioned Russian broadcaster.
Russian state media framed the sanctions and indictments as another front of informational warfare, with Russian TV presenter Vladimir Solovyov suggesting that this was an attempt to influence US politics.
RT’s chief editor, Margarita Simonyan, openly accepted responsibility for waging informational warfare on the US, stating that she follows orders from the Kremlin and hinting at covert attempts to influence the US media landscape.
Analysts suggest that Russia is able to influence Americans who are distrustful of the state and mainstream media, amplifying existing divisions and vulnerabilities within American society. The focus on right-wing actors is seen as a strategic move by the Kremlin to target a more emotionally charged audience.
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Photo credit www.aljazeera.com
