A Comprehensive Cross-Platform Analysis of Troll Activities in the U.S. Presidential Election in August 2024
Executive Summary
From August 1 to August 31, 2024, Taiwan AI Labs monitored 114 key battlefields and 960 media reports related to the U.S. presidential election. Among these, 138 reports (14.37%) were linked to Russia and China state-affiliated media. Out of 27,535 identified troll accounts involved in the election discussions, these contributed to a total volume of 363,014 social media comments, with 12.54% (45,535) being troll-related. Three major battlefields, accounting for approximately 63% of observed troll volumes, were:
- Donald Trump’s proposal for two additional debates with Kamala Harris after Tim Walz became her running mate.
- A live Twitter (now X) interview between Elon Musk and Trump.
- A CNN interview with Harris and Walz after the Democratic National Convention.
Our in-depth analysis revealed that YouTube #72, Facebook #70033, Twitter #10946, TikTok #144, and Weibo #2562 were the most active troll groups across their respective platforms. These groups aimed to stoke social division, amplify the negative aspects of both parties’ candidates, and erode trust in the U.S. democratic system and elections.
Additionally, foreign forces aligned with these troll strategies. Russian state media selectively quoted candidates and reported unverified information to undermine trust in both parties. Meanwhile, Chinese state media emphasized China’s successes and the U.S.’s failures to fuel anti-American sentiment and promote a positive image of China. These coordinated efforts seek to dominate the global information battlefield and further weaken public trust in Western democracies.
YouTube #72 is the highest-volume troll group on YouTube, focusing on undermining Trump by portraying him as a racist and xenophobe, and accusing him of planning to cheat, thus questioning the legitimacy of the U.S. electoral process and eroding trust in American democracy.
However, the overall YouTube strategy targets Harris, linking her to criminal groups, damaging her credibility, and questioning her leadership through racial and gender issues. The group also exaggerates Harris and Biden’s border policy failures, blaming her for illegal immigration and increased violence, while criticizing her lack of border inspections, casting doubt on her integrity.
These dual strategies against Trump and Harris align with Russian state media tactics, which amplify the candidates’ flaws to deepen societal divisions and erode trust in U.S. politics. Russian outlets like TASS cited Trump’s criticism of Harris’s “incompetence,” while RT reported Harris’s accusations against Trump and Musk, claiming that her campaign sent a fundraising email calling out their “lies.” However, upon further observation, we found that mainstream media did not cover this email story. Notably, RT was banned by Meta on September 17 for deceptive online activities, suggesting its potential involvement in disinformation and foreign political interference.
Facebook #70033 is the most active troll group on Facebook, focusing on attacking the overall U.S. political landscape. They portray Trump as a dictator threatening democracy and Harris as a weak candidate with harmful policies, such as open borders. Musk is also targeted, being tied to Trump and accused of undermining the U.S. electoral system and being unfriendly to the working class.
Meanwhile, the overall strategy on Facebook centers on weakening Trump’s image by emphasizing his harm to the working class, highlighting his wealthy ties to Musk, and accusing them of prioritizing self-interest over the middle and working classes. They also accuse Trump of betraying allies and threatening national security, aiming to sow doubt and mistrust among voters.
Twitter #10946 is the most active troll group on Twitter, employing strategies filled with anti-Semitic and anti-government sentiment. They depict Trump and Musk as threats to democracy and social values, exacerbating societal divisions with accusations of fascism. Harris is also targeted, being accused of colluding with Jewish interest communities to damage her image and erode trust in the U.S. electoral system.
Overall, Twitter’s coordinated strategy focuses on exploiting racial and religious issues to intensify social polarization, with around 34% of comments mentioning terms like “Jewish” or “Jews,” making Twitter a key platform for amplifying racial concerns. Troll groups link Democratic Party policies to race and religion, aiming to weaken voter trust in the party and challenge the legitimacy of the vice-presidential candidate.
Notably, during the Trump-Musk interview, Twitter’s strategy aligned with Chinese state media. Musk mentioned that the interview was delayed by a 40-minute DDoS (Distributed Denial of Service) attack. Troll groups praised Musk’s handling of the attack, portraying Twitter as a fair platform. Meanwhile, Global Times claimed the attack originated from Western countries like Germany, the U.K., and Canada, aiming to divide the U.S.-European democratic alliances. We observed similar strategies earlier this year when Russia accused Ukraine of being behind Moscow’s terrorist attacks, intending to undermine the reputation and image of Western democracies.
Furthermore, Global Times used the event to bolster China’s international image as a responsible player in cybersecurity, highlighting China’s XLab for quickly detecting the DDoS attack with its large-scale threat detection system. According to Foreign Policy, China’s troll activities on Twitter have been more active than on other social platforms since the COVID-19 pandemic. Democratic vice-presidential candidate Walz’s unfriendly stance towards China may have also become a target for Chinese coordinated operations.
TikTok #144 is the most active troll group on TikTok, portraying Trump as a traitor allied with authoritarian regimes like Russia. While they don’t directly criticize Harris, they tarnish her image by portraying her supporters as blindly loyal, thereby discrediting both Harris and her supporters.
The overall troll strategy on TikTok aligns with TikTok #144, focusing on damaging Trump’s public image while bolstering support for Harris and Walz. Around 16% of comments contain explicit insults targeting Trump and his running mate JD Vance, reflecting the “Divide” tactic from the 5D strategy of information manipulation. Additionally, 42% of comments praise Harris and Walz, with 32% using the Democratic Party’s “💙” emoji to amplify emotional appeal. Notably, 90% of comments were posted between midnight on August 7 and midnight on August 8, indicating a concentrated effort to maximize troll groups’ impact during specific timeframes.
Weibo #2562 is the most active troll group on Weibo, focusing on anti-American and anti-Semitic sentiment. Their strategy portrays the U.S. as an imperialist power exploiting its own people and other countries under the guise of democracy, using negative Jewish stereotypes to fuel social and racial divisions in America.
Weibo’s overall coordinated strategy operates on two aspects. First, they depict the U.S. election as a “civil war,” intensifying perceptions of division between the two major parties and exacerbating social polarization. Attacks on Harris leverage gender bias, portraying her as having advanced through illicit means, while also spreading narratives of Jewish control over America. Second, they externalize China’s economic issues by claiming that the U.S. fears China’s electric vehicle development, criticizing America’s malicious competition and suppression of China.
Weibo’s strategy mirrors that of Chinese state media. For example, Reference News highlighted America’s geopolitical disadvantages and criticized its failed attempts to decouple from China’s supply chains, reinforcing anti-American narratives that align with Weibo trolls. Additionally, Hong Kong media Ta Kung Pao pointed out that although Jews make up only 2% of the U.S. population, they dominate politics, finance, and media, implying Jewish control over the American government and mainstream media. The outlet also accused Biden of blindly supporting Israel due to campaign donations from pro-Israel groups.
After Ta Kung Pao published this story, other Hong Kong media outlets like Dot Dot News and Beyond News followed suit. Mainland Chinese media such as Xinhua News, CRI Online, and Guancha News have also reported on Jewish power and control in America since November last year. These reports reveal a highly coordinated media strategy across Hong Kong, Chinese, and overseas Chinese platforms. By disseminating similar narratives through multiple outlets, they aim to strengthen the credibility of their claims and manipulate audiences’ perceptions, fostering distrust of American politics, the Jewish community, and Democratic figures.
In sum, across the five platforms’ troll strategies, YouTube #72 primarily targets Trump to undermine his reputation and question the legitimacy of U.S. elections, eroding voters’ trust in American democracy. TikTok #144 depicts Trump as a traitor allied with authoritarian regimes, indirectly discrediting Harris by framing her supporters as blindly loyal. Facebook #70033 and Twitter #10946 both attack American democracy and the electoral system on a broader scale, using issues like labor, borders, and immigration to evoke fear and dissatisfaction among voters. Weibo #2562 focuses on anti-American and anti-Semitic narratives, aiming to reduce American support for Israel and discredit the U.S. democratic system. Additionally, the troll strategies of YouTube, Twitter, and Weibo align with those of Russian and Chinese state media, indicating cross-platform collaboration with foreign forces.
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