AP Exclusive: Russia Twitter trolls deflected Trump bad news

[Judi Lynn]

Source: Associated Press


Ryan Nakashima and Barbara Ortutay, Ap Technology Writers

 Updated 10:06 am, Thursday, November 9, 2017

SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — Disguised Russian agents on Twitter rushed to deflect scandalous news about Donald Trump just before last year's presidential election while straining to refocus criticism on the mainstream media and Hillary Clinton's campaign, according to an Associated Press analysis of since-deleted accounts.

Tweets by Russia-backed accounts such as "America_1st_" and "BatonRougeVoice" on Oct. 7, 2016, actively pivoted away from news of an audio recording in which Trump made crude comments about groping women, and instead touted damaging emails hacked from Clinton's campaign chairman John Podesta.
 
Since early this year, the extent of Russian intrusion to help Trump and hurt Clinton in the election has been the subject of both congressional scrutiny and a criminal investigation by special counsel Robert Mueller. In particular, those investigations are looking into the possibility of collusion between the Trump campaign and the Russians.
 
AP's analysis illuminates the obvious strategy behind the Russian cyber meddling: swiftly react, distort and distract attention from any negative Trump news.

Read more: http://www.chron.com/business/technology/article/AP-Exclusive-Russia-Twitter-trolls-deflected-bad-12344330.php

[Botany]

1. And now it turns out that both Facebook and Twitter are owned in large part by Russia

[lagomorph777]

2. Time to pull the plug on FacePutin and TwitPutin.

Maybe people will look up from their phones once in a while, and fewer will walk into lamp posts or traffic.

[BumRushDaShow]

3. " refocus criticism on the mainstream media" - NOT NEEDED

The fucking "mainstream media" only amplified the Russian and Bannon-fueled troll bullshit and breathlessly reported on "emails", "both sides do it", and a whole host of other false equivalencies.

[KPN]

4. And the GOP is basically silent about all of this ... with few exceptions.

They are traitorous leeches!

[SergeStorms]

5. And of course the CIA's Director....

Mike Pompeo announced there was absolutely NO effect on the outcome of the election because of Russia's blatant interference. The CIA since announced that was a mistake, but it bears close scrutiny of whose side Pompeo is really on. The way it sounds, he's in Trump's back pocket, doing practically everything he asks. This could be very dangerous in the future, not only in relation to Mueller's investigation, but to the country in general if Pompeo decides to consult in private with Trump about national security issues, not involving the rest of the national security agencies.