There’s a popular trend on social media called “catfishing.” I’m sure most of you have heard of it. Basically, a person pretends to be someone they are not, in order to trick a naive, unsuspecting victim. Often catfishing results in identify theft, or at the very least a person sending money to a stranger overseas. Rarely do we see it have such a dramatic effect on an entire country.
We have recently discovered that a small group of Russian trolls has been catfishing the entire United States of America. An indictment, presented by the Department of Justice, reveals that thirteen Russian nationals have been using social media to “sow discord in the U.S. political system, including the 2016 presidential election.”
This relatively small group—working for what appears to be a fraudulent company—set up social media accounts to spread negative sentiments against political candidates. According to the DOJ, they started doing this in 2014, but heated things up during the election. Some of their targets included Hillary Clinton, Ted Cruz, and Marco Rubio. These same trolls appeared to support Bernie Sanders and Donald Trump.
“There is no allegation in this indictment that any American was a knowing participant in this illegal activity. There is no allegation in the indictment that the charged conduct altered the outcome of the 2016 election,” Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein, who oversees the special counsel probe, said at a Friday press conference. (Fox News)
Why would a small group of Russians do this? Were they working for Putin? It would be hard to imagine a private company doing this on their own. Where would the profit be?
According to the DOJ, the trolls did not seem to alter the outcome of the election. We have documented, time and again, the various reasons for why Trump won. From what we are learning about these Russian trolls, getting Trump elected wasn’t their goal. So, what was it?
Anyone that’s spent any amount of time online knows that people aren’t who they say they are. And to assume that this is the only case of foreign nationals trolling U.S. elections is absurd. I’m sure China has its own trolls, as do our rivals in the Middle East, Africa, and South America. Hell, I’m sure Britain and France have agents posting memes on Reddit. At any given time, any number of trolls are trying to wreak havoc online (and that includes many of the American variety).
It seems, though, this group of Ruskies was overwhelmingly successful. What were they trying to do? Sow discord in the U.S. political system. Holy hell were they successful.
Immediately following the election, dissenters started to protest Trump’s win. Many of us were completely shocked at the level of backlash pouring out of the left. Sure, they were upset that Hillary lost. But to protest the election? Challenge the Electoral College with a petition (and death threats)? Riot in the streets of Washington, D.C. on the day of the election? This is not the normal fallout of a Presidential election.
Now we know that outside operatives were fanning the flames of discord. Liberals were all too eager to believe anything, and I mean anything, that could explain away Trump’s victory. Apparently the much-more-reasonable explanation—millions of Americans wanted Trump President—never entered their minds.
But crackpot theories of Russian collusion, election-rigging, and conspiracies? Sure, they swallowed that hook, line, and sinker.
The reality is, there was a Russian conspiracy. But it was aimed at our entire Union. Russians didn’t seem to care who was elected President, they just wanted Americans divided over the outcome. They seemed to target Hillary, Rubio, and Cruz because they were the supposed frontrunners at the time. In the aftermath of the election, they created both pro-Trump and anti-Trump hysteria.
The Russians indicted for meddling in the 2016 presidential contest were also behind anti-Trump rallies after the election, prosecutors said Friday, revealing another aspect of Russia’s alleged interference as it worked to sow discord in the United States.
“After the election, the defendants allegedly staged rallies to support the president-elect while simultaneously staging rallies to protest his election,” Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein said in a Friday press conference…
The indictment also revealed that the Russians organized a “Charlotte Against Trump” rally in North Carolina on Nov. 19. (Fox News)
Some of the earliest protests against the election, occurring in November 2016, were organized by these Russian trolls. They sparked the idiotic outrage that has poisoned our country since then. Much of the insane accusations and anger shown by anti-Trumpers can be traced to that window of time.
Liberals didn’t even hesitate to jump on the hate bandwagon. They didn’t stop to think that they were being used as pawns by an outside force. A force, mind you, that would benefit from an unstable, divided America.
Even Michael Moore was tricked, as he attended a rally hosted by these Ruskies.
Michael Moore, the polemical filmmaker who has long accused President Trump of colluding with Russians, posted videos and pictures of himself participating in a protest in Manhattan that was allegedly organized by Russians in November 2016…
On Nov. 12, Moore tweeted: "At today's Trump Tower protest. He wouldn't come down."
He attached a picture of himself posing with a large number of protesters. (Fox News)
At today's Trump Tower protest. He wouldn't come down. Here's my Facebook Live coverage: https://t.co/FzxOyljoK5 pic.twitter.com/PxjoALcyn8
— Michael Moore (@MMFlint) November 13, 2016
Russia was hoping to cause as much division, confusion, and noise in our country as it could. The resulting distraction would give it some cover. We know that Putin wants to be Stalin 2.0. He wants to expand the power of Russia to Cold War-era heights. The only real rival to his schemes is the United States. But if we are so distracted arguing over our own election—we won’t be in a position to deal with him.
And if the American media is accusing the President of colluding with Russia, he won’t be able to properly deal with the rival superpower. Check and mate.
It all makes sense when you think about it. Russia doesn’t respect our traditions, laws, or democracy. It has its own interests to think about. If they can sow discord to undermine our nation they will. I doubt, though, they thought it would be this successful.
Liberal politicians and news outlet swallowed the bait and expanded it to ridiculous extremes. Their partisan bias prevented them from realizing the nefarious scheme.
I wouldn’t be surprised if this revelation isn’t enough to wake them up.
And once again, Russia wins.
