Russian President Vladimir Putin recently made headlines by jokingly endorsing Vice President Kamala Harris over former President Donald Trump in the U.S. election. This move by Putin has sparked discussions about potential election interference tactics.
Putin's endorsement of Harris came as a response to the U.S. crackdown on alleged Russian election interference. He claimed that his preferred candidate was Joe Biden, but he was removed from the race, leading him to recommend his supporters to back Harris.
The White House swiftly rebuked Putin's comments, urging him to refrain from discussing U.S. elections and interfering in them. Former President Donald Trump also weighed in, suggesting that Putin's support for Harris could be a form of reverse psychology to sow discord among Americans.
Meanwhile, the Justice Department revealed the identity of a Tennessee-based company, Tenet Media, allegedly funded by Russian operatives to influence the U.S. presidential election. Prosecutors stated that Tenet Media hired right-wing social media personalities like Benny Johnson, Tim Poole, and Dave Rubin to promote Russian narratives.
These social media influencers, with a combined audience of approximately six million on YouTube, claim they were deceived and unaware of the Russian funding. The 2016 and 2020 Russian election meddling campaigns involved tactics such as hacking and releasing emails to tarnish politicians' reputations and spreading disinformation through dummy accounts.
Analysts express concerns about the evolving nature of Russian election interference, with fears that undetected activities could be more widespread than known. Brett Schaefer highlights the challenge of detecting and preventing such interference, likening it to combating drug smuggling across borders.
