Russia sought to amplify online conspiracy theories surrounding Charlie Kirk's killing just hours after it occurred, flooding social media with the alarming claim that America is on the brink of civil war.
Chinese and pro-Iranian groups also spread disinformation about the shooting, with those loyal to Iran’s interests backing antisemitic conspiracy theories while bots linked to Beijing claimed that Mr. Kirk’s death shows that the United States is violent, polarized and dysfunctional, News.Az reports citing The washington Times.
America’s adversaries have long used fake social media accounts, online bots and disinformation to depict the U.S. as a dangerous country beset with extremism and gun violence. Mr. Kirk’s killing has provided another opportunity for those overseas eager to shape public understanding while inflaming political polarization.
“Charlie Kirk’s Death and the Coming Civil War,” tweeted Russian ultranationalist Alexander Dugin, whose influence earned him the moniker “ Putin’s brain,” referring to Russia’s president. Pro-Russian bots blamed Democrats and predicted more violence. Russian state media published English-language articles with headlines claiming a conspiracy orchestrated by shadowy forces: “Was Charlie Kirk’s Killer a Pro?”
Foreign disinformation makes up a tiny fraction of the overall online discussion about Mr. Kirk’s death, but it could undermine any efforts to heal political divisions or even spur further violence.
“We’ve seen multiple Russian campaigns attempting to exploit” the killing, said Joseph Bodnar, senior research manager at the Institute for Strategic Dialogue. In many cases, the campaigns aren’t adding new claims but are recycling ones that emerged from American users. “They’re picking up domestic actors and amplifying them.”
In each case, those spreading the disinformation have tailored it for their own ends. Chinese propaganda has focused on the violent nature of Mr. Kirk’s death, painting the U.S. as a nation of violent gun owners and political extremists.
Russian voices have tried to tie Mr. Kirk’s death to U.S. support for Ukraine, even spreading a conspiracy theory that the Ukrainian government killed Mr. Kirk because of his criticism of that aid.
