Undermining Trust: How Information Manipulation Eroded American Democracy during the Turbulent July of 2024
Executive Summary
From July 1 to July 31, 2024, Taiwan AI Labs observed 333 battlefields and 3,072 media reports related to the U.S. presidential election. Among these, 304 reports (9.9%) were linked to Chinese state-affiliated media. Out of 14,060 identified troll accounts were active in discussions about the election, contributing to a total community volume of 381,233, with 5.82% (22,176) related to troll activities.
We identified four main battlefields based on nearly half of the observed troll volume:
- Trump Hush Money & Immunity Issues,
- Trump Assassination Attempt,
- Democratic Primary Developments: Donor Advocates for Change; Harris Secures Nomination Support,
- Harris Joins Presidential Race as Biden Withdraws.
The first three battlefields made up 21.42% of troll volume, with Facebook #70033 and TikTok #144 being the most active, focusing on Trump’s hush money, immunity issues, assassination attempt, and Biden’s withdrawal. The fourth battlefield, centered on Harris’s candidacy, accounted for 22.32% of troll volume, showing a significant spike after Biden’s withdrawal. Twitter #10946, YouTube #72, and Weibo #2497 led on their respective platforms, highlighting increased cross-platform coordination after Biden’s withdrawal on July 21.
We identified Facebook #70033, TikTok #144, Twitter #10946, YouTube #72, and Weibo #2497 as the top cross-platform troll groups based on their high troll volume. These groups consistently targeted both the Democratic and Republican parties to undermine the U.S. government’s legitimacy but varied in narrative strategies. Facebook #70033 attacked both parties to erode voter trust, while TikTok #144 posed as Biden’s blind supporters to create negative impressions of him. Twitter #10946 critiqued both parties and key political figures. YouTube #72 took a more extreme stance, focusing on attacking Trump and Republicans, and Weibo #2497 disparaged the U.S. electoral system.
First, in the “Trump Hush Money & Immunity Issues” battlefield, Facebook #70033 heavily criticized the Supreme Court, claiming it had become a threat to national stability. They warned that Trump was heading toward dictatorship, likening him to China, Russia, and terrorism, while also accusing Biden of using immunity to bypass the law. In the “Trump Assassination Attempt” battlefield, they speculated that Trump might have staged the incident himself, suggesting it was part of a Deep State conspiracy, and hinted that Democrats could have been involved. In the “Democratic Primary Developments” battlefield, they highlighted deep divisions within the Democratic Party and intensified attacks on Trump, portraying him as a pedophile, racist, and fascist, with ties to the Deep State.
Second, in the same “Hush Money & Immunity Issues” battlefield, TikTok #144 attacked the Supreme Court’s delay in ruling on Trump’s case, accusing it of enabling his dictatorship and portraying him as a terrorist leader. In the “Assassination Attempt” battlefield, they suggested Trump accepted bribes from Putin, staged the shooting for media attention, and used terms like “civil war” and “murder” to link Trump to political violence. In the “Democratic Primary Developments” battlefield, they fully supported Biden, condemned Democrats pushing for his withdrawal, and questioned the mainstream media’s credibility for not covering Trump’s crimes. Finally, in the “Harris Joins Presidential Race” battlefield, they expressed deep concern over the gender and racial discrimination Harris might face.
Third, Twitter #10946 took a similar stance to Facebook #70033, primarily targeting key figures in both parties. They viewed the Democratic Party negatively, labeling its supporters as fools and branding the party as “socialists and communists,” while also criticizing Trump and the Republicans, depicting him as Putin’s puppet with no moral values.
Lastly, YouTube #72’s narrative was intensely negative toward Trump, calling him a “lunatic” and “traitor” and claiming he harmed African Americans and the entire U.S. society. They accused Trump of avoiding debates with Kamala Harris, labeling him a coward, and held negative views on his supporters and mainstream media, declaring that MAGA (Make America Great Again) was over and branding FOX News as a mouthpiece for Moscow. They urged voters to support the Democrats, endorsing Harris and her running mate Walz.
Overall, the troll groups in July focused on manipulating and distorting U.S. presidential election issues to erode voter trust in the government, judiciary, and candidates. They used conspiracy theories, spread extreme information, and intensified polarization, further destabilizing society and politics while fueling dissatisfaction with the U.S. political system. After the Trump shooting incident, their narrative became even more extreme, shifting from questioning the Supreme Court to advocating gun ownership and challenging government legitimacy. Following the launch of Trump and Harris’s campaigns on July 27, troll activity surged, with signs that their rivalry will be a key focus in August.
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