Elon Musk’s societal media level X has been an important conveyance for spreading countless lies this predetermination season, including fake stories astir Haitian immigrants eating pets, AI videos falsely accusing Tim Walz of sexual assault, the thought that the heavy authorities is trying to kill Trump, and allegations that Democrats tin control hurricanes, conscionable to sanction a few. But conscionable astir everyone is expecting those disinformation efforts to get adjacent worse connected Election Day and beyond, arsenic caller reports from NPR and Wired item the incredibly unethical enactment of Musk’s pro-Trump governmental enactment committee, America PAC.
As the caller reports constituent out, America PAC precocious established a radical connected X called the Election Integrity Community, which includes a bio that explains that the extremity is to, “Share imaginable incidents of elector fraud oregon irregularities you spot portion voting successful the 2024 election.” The provender includes an endless watercourse of conspiracy theories and unverified reports, each with a pro-Trump oregon anti-Harris slant. And there’s a existent interest this torrent of seemingly endless bullshit volition person an interaction connected however the predetermination is perceived online. At the clip of writing, the radical has much than 50,000 members.
One illustration of a tweet that’s been shared and amplified by the alleged Election Integrity Community was from an relationship called MJTruthUltra which alleges idiosyncratic was “dropping disconnected an obscene magnitude of ballots” astatine a determination successful Pennsylvania. The relationship tried to suggest determination was thing suspicious astir the video, which has been shared implicit 7 cardinal times.
UPDATE: 2024 Election
Man Spotted Dropping disconnected an Obscene magnitude of Ballots astatine Northampton, PA past minute
The antheral reportedly has Rhode Island licence plate… wherefore Rhode Island Plates successful PA? 🤔
Might beryllium a logical explanation.. but spot something, accidental something. It should at… https://t.co/OVY1NK5TtL pic.twitter.com/yZ2rWzLUD4
— MJTruthUltra (@MJTruthUltra) October 29, 2024
NBC News verified that the video shows a antheral named Charles Narciso, who’s been with the U.S. Postal Service for 25 years and was bringing ballots into a section predetermination office. It’s not wide who’s down the relationship MJTruthUltra but it besides shared conspiracy theories astir the attempted assassination against Trump backmost successful July, including the thought that the shooter had been brainwashed by the CIA. But whoever’s down it, the video was helped on by immoderate of the biggest names successful the conspiracy mentation business, including Alex Jones, who tweeted, “They don’t adjacent effort to fell it!”
The constituent of these videos isn’t needfully to beryllium thing amerciable has happened that would change the ballot successful immoderate meaningful way. But if Trump allies tin sow capable confusion, possibly galore radical volition conscionable spot this partition of static and sound online and presume determination indispensable beryllium thing shady happening. How tin you uncertainty that predetermination fraud is happening erstwhile truthful galore radical are shouting astir it connected the internet? It can’t each beryllium untrue, tin it? As Steve Bannon enactment it truthful infamously, they effort to “flood the portion with shit.” Bannon was released from situation this week, conscionable successful clip for the election.
NPR besides notes that it appears establishing this assemblage of “fact-checkers” connected X is an effort to laic the groundwork for immoderate aboriginal lawsuits challenging the validity of the predetermination results. And it’s already taken arsenic a fixed that Trump volition assertion immoderate effect successful which helium didn’t triumph is rigged. Obviously, helium does that connected a regular ground and has falsely said that fraud is already occurring successful Pennsylvania, a important battleground state.
“Pennsylvania is cheating, and getting caught, astatine ample standard levels seldom seen before. REPORT CHEATING TO AUTHORITIES. Law Enforcement indispensable act, NOW!” Trump posted connected his societal media level Truth Social connected Wednesday.
Trump’s affluent allies are doing everything they tin to get him backmost into office. Musk, a billionaire right-wing extremist, has poured astatine slightest $120 cardinal into getting Trump elected, according to the latest reporting from the New York Times. And Musk’s America PAC is giving retired $1 cardinal a time to radical who motion his “petition” successful enactment of the First and Second Amendments. The caveat is that lone radical who unrecorded successful 1 of 7 battleground states are eligible, which has prompted Philadelphia District Attorney Larry Krasner to record a suit against America PAC arguing that it’s moving an amerciable lottery.
Money aside, Musk has truly ramped up his rhetoric implicit the past six months, echoing the doom and gloom talking points of Trump and insisting this volition beryllium the past existent predetermination successful America if Harris wins. Musk, who told Tucker Carlson helium mightiness beryllium thrown successful jail if Harris takes the White House, has besides suggested that members of Congress who don’t enactment circumstantial Republican policies should beryllium executed. Musk tweeted backmost successful July astir the projected SAVE Act, a measure introduced by Republicans to enactment up each kinds of caller barriers to voting.
“Those who reason this are traitors. All Caps: TRAITORS What is the punishment for traitors again?” Musk tweeted with an accusation that was wide to all. Traitors person historically been executed.
Those who reason this are traitors.
All Caps: TRAITORS
What is the punishment for traitors again? https://t.co/lyREyskPv4
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) July 5, 2024
Meanwhile, Trump is throwing everything astatine the partition to spot what sticks. The erstwhile president, who has suggested Mark Milley should beryllium executed for treason and Mark Zuckerberg should beryllium tossed successful jail, filed a suit Thursday against CBS News for “deceptive doctoring” of a 60 Minutes interrogation with Kamala Harris. Deceptive editing isn’t a transgression offense, of course, but Trump is alleging this amounts to immoderate benignant of predetermination interference with the underlying transgression being mendacious oregon deceptive advertizing successful commerce. It’s absurd, but the extremity is to intimidate and harass, not needfully win.
Musk’s X is going to support pushing retired nonsense conspiracy theories astir elector fraud, astir surely dialing up the baseless allegations close up to Election Day connected Nov. 5. The happening cipher knows astatine this constituent is what these radical bash if Trump loses. The erstwhile president didn’t judge his nonaccomplishment successful 2020 and adjacent tried to signifier a coup astatine the U.S. Capitol to stay successful power. There’s nary telling what helium mightiness bash this time, and Musk seems poised to assistance him nevertheless helium can.