One Year Cross-Platform Analysis of Troll Activities and Foreign Influence in 2024 U.S. Presidential Election

Executive Summary

A one-year observation (October 2023 – November 2024) of coordinated information manipulation during the U.S. pre-election period revealed signs of foreign interference, including the evidence of involvement from Russia and China. We identified three critical insights:  

  1. The narratives and strategies of troll groups frequently echoed Russian or Chinese state media.  
  2. One of the main strategies was to shape candidates as colluding with Russia, spread the impression that the U.S. would be controlled by authoritarian regimes regardless of the election outcome and polarize American politics, further dividing society. They accused both Trump and Biden-Harris of colluding with Russia, criticized U.S. economic and foreign policies, and exploited topics like border and immigration issues to erode trust in both parties.
  3. Besides U.S. domestic manipulation, troll groups also targeted foreign topics especially on NATO, EU tariffs, and U.S.-China relations. The narratives undermine the relationship of Western alliances, attack the policies against China, and describe China as a victim of U.S. aggression.

Our in-depth analysis revealed main troll groups—YouTube @72, Facebook @70033, TikTok @144, and X @10946—dominating the coordinated operations landscape. These groups consistently drove narratives on key events, including Trump’s immunity, the assassination attempt, Trump’s interview with Elon Musk on X, and border and immigration issues. 

YouTube@72, Facebook@70033’s and TikTok@144 troll volume consistently contributed to more than 20% collaborated troll activities at YouTube, 17% at Facebook, and 13% at TikTok. Although the troll volume of X@10946 is 2% on average, it still ranked first in most of the main events. These four troll groups consistently ranked as the first or second most active troll groups on associated platforms. In contrast, Weibo coordinated is operated by multiple account groups. 

We can further trace back the troll group with evidence of foreign influence: 

  1. X@10946 targeted not only U.S. election issues around Trump’s threats but also the narratives attacking NATO allies in February 2024, echoing Russian state media. The accounts distributed the information attacking the U.S.’s commitment to NATO and destroying the trust within the democratic alliance. X @10946 took advantage of distorting Trump’s statement by emphasizing his disregarding NATO members’ interests, pro-Russia image with strong attempt undermining American unity and NATO cohesion.
  2. Weibo trolls usually represent the official tendency of state media. We had observed the leading manipulation followed by YouTube@72. The narratives actively attacked the EU’s tariffs against Chinese EVs. They claimed US fears of China’s growing EV sector and to externalize China’s economic challenges by presenting China as a victim of US competition. Moreover, Weibo trolls consistently framed the US election as a “civil war,” claiming American decline regardless of the winner and characterizing U.S. democracy as a facade for imperialism.
  3. YouTube@72 echoed Weibo’s troll strategies and rescued Chinese EV by criticizing US tariff policies against Chinese EVs. It provokes the US and EU citizens with potential financial burden due to the tariff. The account group also claimed the US leveraged the EU to confront China, and customers are victims of US’s competition against China.
  4. Facebook @70033 manipulated the narrative surrounding Trump’s proposal to impose tariffs on China, as reported by the South China Morning Post. The group criticized Trump by highlighting his business’s ties to China and profiting from PPE sales, portraying hypocrisy in light of his anti-China stance. Additionally, they undermined Trump’s economic leadership by comparing Black unemployment rates, arguing that Biden’s administration had lower unemployment than Trump’s.
  5. TikTok @144 echoed Russian state media’s criticism of U.S. foreign policy. Both criticized the allocation of resources to Ukraine, Israel, and Taiwan while neglecting domestic issues like the southern border. Russian state media focused on Democratic lawmakers, while TikTok @144 broadly attacked the government’s misuse of taxpayer money, aiming to deepen divisions by framing the U.S. government as prioritizing international over domestic concerns.

Other key events participated by the troll account groups are the following:

  1. Five major troll groups’ early operations (pre-June) focused on Trump’s immunity issues and Biden’s health concerns. After July’s “Trump Assassination Attempt”, narrative marked a significant shift, where trolls expanded from Supreme Court criticism to questioning government legitimacy and gun rights issues.
  2. The Trump-Harris campaign launch in late July triggered another surge in coordinated activities. Operations expanded to include conspiracy theories about Jewish control of American politics through the “Tim Walz VP Candidate” narrative, while using Musk as a focal point during the “Trump-Elon Live Interview” to suggest threats to social stability.
  3. Foreign interference intensified in September through two main strategies: YouTube @72, Facebook @70033, and TikTok @144 portraying both candidates as “colluding with Russia,” while X @10946 focused on dismissing Russian interference concerns while highlighting the “Hunter Biden laptop” controversy. Weibo @2526 uniquely employed both strategies through sarcastic amplification of Putin’s alleged support for both candidates.
  4. October operations shifted toward domestic issues – candidates’ health, immigration, disaster response, and wealth inequality. Following reports of Chinese state-backed hacking targeting campaign communications, post-election activities on Weibo intensified significantly. These operations promoted narratives about inevitable U.S. social division and decline, while questioning the integrity of leadership transition through narratives about Biden’s sudden “mental recovery” and Harris’s electoral defeat.

In addition to the main troll groups mentioned above, YouTube @72002 and X@3778 were found to have clear connections with Russia and China during the election period. They engaged in discussions about the Ukraine-Russia war and the Israel-Palestine conflict, criticizing U.S.-aligned countries like Ukraine, Israel, and NATO, while expressing support for authoritarian regimes.

Download full report : One Year Cross-Platform Analysis of Troll Activities and Foreign Influence in 2024 U.S. Presidential Election

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Cross-Platform Analysis of Troll Activities and Foreign Influence in the U.S. Presidential Election of September 2024

Key Findings

From September 1 to September 30, 2024, Taiwan AI Labs’ analysis identified the most active troll groups on each platform—YouTube @72, Facebook @70033, Twitter @10946, TikTok @144, and Weibo @2526—all of which were linked to foreign influence. These groups employed strategies aligned with Russian and Chinese state media, downplaying the threat of Russian interference in the U.S. election while portraying both Trump and Harris as “colluding with Russia.” Their primary objective was to convince voters that, regardless of who wins, authoritarian interference was inevitable. This tactic aimed to undermine the credibility of the U.S. electoral system and erode public trust in American democracy.

Additionally, Twitter @10946 amplified concerns over Trump potentially abandoning NATO, stirring fears of division within democratic alliances and threats to international security. On the other hand, YouTube @72 and Weibo @2526 manipulated narratives around U.S. and EU tariffs on China, seeking to provoke discontent among the middle class toward the U.S. government. Notably, Weibo, traditionally used for China’s internal propaganda, externalized domestic economic struggles to divert attention from China’s ongoing economic decline.

Executive Summary

From September 1 to September 30, 2024, Taiwan AI Labs monitored 125 key battlefields and 695 media reports related to the U.S. presidential election. Among these, 89 reports (12.81%) were linked to Chinese and Russian state-affiliated media. Out of 15,760 identified troll accounts involved in the election discussions, these contributed to a total volume of 500,224 social media comments, with 6.11% (30,562) being troll-related. Three major battlefields, accounting for approximately 50% of observed troll volumes, were:

  1. Putin claims to prefer Harris over Trump (23%)
  2. U.S. accuses Russian propaganda outlet RT of interference in 2024 election (12%)
  3. GOP strategist says Trump’s false pet-eating claims at debate only hurt him (15%)

We first observed a rapid spike in Facebook and Twitter posts after Trump’s “immigrants eating dogs and cats” remark during the September 11 presidential debate (Taiwan time). This battlefield sparked widespread discussion and dissemination in a short time. However, within a few hours, the impact of Twitter posts declined significantly, while Facebook posts maintained relatively stable engagement. This difference highlights a strong initial reaction on social media, with discussions on Twitter being suppressed over time, while Facebook discussions remained steady for a longer period.

On the other hand, our analysis of Russian and Chinese state-affiliated media identified three key strategies: portraying Trump and Harris as “cooperating with Russia,” downplaying the threat of foreign interference, and criticizing U.S. tariff policies toward Russia and China. We further examined the troll strategies on YouTube, Facebook, Twitter, TikTok, and Weibo, identifying the most active troll groups on each platform that aligned with these state media strategies and were influenced by foreign entities: YouTube @72, Facebook @70033, Twitter @10946, TikTok @144, and Weibo @2526. All these groups were linked to foreign influence. Below are the methods these main troll groups leveraged to echo state media narratives.

YouTube @72 attacks both Trump and Harris, portraying them as puppets controlled by Putin. It mocks the Republican Party as mere pawns of Russian interests, claiming that if Trump wins, Putin will take over the U.S. Harris is ridiculed as weak and ignorant, with Putin’s support for her framed as evidence that she is a Russian spy and unfit for the presidency. Additionally, in June, YouTube @72 amplified the narrative regarding EU tariffs on Chinese electric vehicles, arguing that the tariffs harm European consumers rather than China.

Facebook @70033 amplifies the narrative of Putin supporting Harris and Trump’s dissatisfaction with it. It claims Putin supports Harris because a female-led U.S. would become weak, mocking Harris not only as an unfit presidential candidate but also as someone favored by Putin.

Twitter @10946 focuses on attacking Harris’s campaign and downplays concerns about Russian interference in the election. It mocks the interference as a “Democratic hoax,” claiming the party is reusing the Russia narrative to manipulate voters. Additionally, it amplifies the “Hunter Biden laptop” controversy, shifting focus from Russian interference to a narrative portraying the Democrats as being close to China. In February, Twitter @10946 pushed the idea that Trump threatened to stop defending NATO allies, reinforcing the image of Trump as Putin’s puppet and a traitor to democracy, stoking fears that Trump might abandon NATO and empower Russia in Europe.

TikTok @144 targets Trump’s campaign, portraying him as a corrupt fraud controlled by Putin and a traitor to democracy. It ridicules Trump’s debate claims about immigrants eating pets as absurd and mocks him for avoiding a second debate with Harris.

Weibo @2526 uses sarcasm to downplay concerns about Russian interference in the U.S. election, amplifying Putin’s support for Harris and portraying her as colluding with Russia. It also emphasizes that the controversy around “Trump-Russia collusion” is unresolved, lauding Putin for backing both Harris and Trump, which confuses American voters and angers the Biden administration. Weibo @2526 also pushed the narrative that Trump and Biden’s tariff policies harm American consumers, particularly the middle class, rather than affecting China.

Download full report : Cross-Platform Analysis of Troll Activities and Foreign Influence in the U.S. Presidential Election of September 2024

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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: 

  1. Trump Hush Money & Immunity Issues,
  2. Trump Assassination Attempt,
  3. Democratic Primary Developments: Donor Advocates for Change; Harris Secures Nomination Support,
  4. 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.

Download full report : Undermining Trust_ How Information Manipulation Eroded American Democracy during the Turbulent July of 2024

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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: 

  1. Donald Trump’s proposal for two additional debates with Kamala Harris after Tim Walz became her running mate.
  2. A live Twitter (now X) interview between Elon Musk and Trump.
  3. 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.

Download full report : A Comprehensive Cross-Platform Analysis of Troll Activities in the U.S. Presidential Election in August 2024

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Observing Information Manipulations Targeting US Presidential Elections from October 2023 to June 2024

Executive Summary

The U.S. presidential election has always attracted global attention, influencing both domestic policies and international relations of the United States. This event, held every four years, draws intense interest worldwide as people eagerly watch to see who will enter the White House and how this change will impact U.S. and global policies.

With the ongoing conflict between Russia and Ukraine, the rise of right-wing victories in the European Parliament elections, and Trump’s return as a candidate, the global social situation has been quite turbulent in recent years. This study will conduct a detailed analysis from October 2023, one year before the presidential election, to June 2024. The study observed a total of 38,530 troll accounts, accounting for 15.1% of the total dialogue, and examined 5,639 media reports related to the presidential election across 131 battlefields. Among these reports, 139 (2.46%) were associated with Chinese and Russian state media.

We observed monthly events where troll volumes accumulated to reach 50-60% of the total volume. These events can be summarized into seven main topics: Trump’s hush money scandal, the ruling on whether he has immunity, Biden’s age issues, his family’s legal troubles, the controversy over aid to Ukraine and Israel, border issues, and abortion rights.

Within these events, we identified three main goals of the troll groups: attacking U.S. presidential candidates, manipulating foreign issues, and influencing U.S. domestic affairs.

First, the troll groups targeted controversies involving U.S. presidential candidates in judicial cases, questioning the fairness and effectiveness of the judicial system to undermine voters’ trust. For example, in the hush money case, the troll groups emphasized the judge’s decision to delay sentencing, questioning whether it was a tactic to allow Trump to delay through appeals. Similarly, in the case of immunity related to the Capitol riots, the Supreme Court’s ruling that Trump had partial immunity during his term was used by troll groups to criticize the court for political bias, further manipulating voter mistrust in the judicial system (5.2%).

Regarding cognitive issues with the candidates, the troll groups echoed the sentiment among Americans that someone with poor memory should not be president (3.76%). On the other hand, in the Chinese community, especially on Weibo, the troll groups directly labeled the U.S. presidential candidates as “old men and criminals,” echoing the Chinese state media’s narrative on Trump’s criminal cases. They even mentioned that both candidates were running just to prevent the other from winning, mocking the democratic system (12.75%). These actions show that troll groups use different strategies in different communities to achieve the same goal: undermining trust in the judicial system and the candidates, and even extending doubts about the democratic system, thereby deepening the division in American society.

Troll groups also exploited the Russia-Ukraine war, manipulating anti-war sentiments among Americans and polarizing opinions on government aid. For English-speaking audiences, troll groups used extreme rhetoric to amplify their views on both sides, with 11.3% arguing that Ukraine should be supported, while 8.9% highlighted Ukraine’s corruption and the Western interests behind the war, further intensifying polarization. For Chinese-speaking communities, especially on Weibo, 6.25% of the troll groups’ discourse spread anti-American sentiment, portraying the U.S. and NATO as the real culprits behind the Russia-Ukraine war. This behavior demonstrates how troll groups use different strategies in different linguistic and cultural contexts, but their goal is consistent: to manipulate public opinion by stirring emotions and conflicts, weakening trust in governments and international organizations.

On domestic issues, troll groups manipulated hot topics such as border issues, gun control, and women’s abortion rights. Regarding the border bill, 8.37% of the troll groups’ discourse attacked the Democratic Party for the uncontrolled immigration surge during its rule, while nearly 5.3% criticized the Republican Party for deliberately obstructing the passage of the bill for election manipulation. By fueling opposing views, they intensified the conflict between American political parties.

Moreover, troll groups exploited the influx of immigrants in Texas, emphasizing that ignoring federal law in Texas equates to a call for fascism, and accusing Texas of appalling expansionism. Such rhetoric accounted for 19.8%, with some even calling for civil war. On Weibo, 17% of the troll groups’ discourse fueled Texas independence. Both Chinese and English troll groups used domestic issues to stir up conflict between the government and the federal system, not just challenging the U.S. system but also intending to divide the entire American society.

In the abortion rights debate, 4.5% of the troll groups’ discourse redirected the discussion towards questioning the judicial system, attacking the court’s rulings and arguing that it should not affect women’s rights. Additionally, the same troll group (Twitter @10946) also participated in controversies related to Trump’s criminal cases, indicating that the troll groups deliberately manipulated public mistrust in the judicial system to further incite anti-government sentiment in the U.S.

The overall operations of the troll groups are to make voters lose trust in the candidates and deliberately amplify the political disputes between the two parties, aiming to polarize American democratic society. On domestic issues, they stoked public skepticism of the judicial system and government through the manipulation of judicial cases, border issues, gun control, and women’s abortion rights, inciting anti-government sentiments. On foreign issues, they portrayed Western countries as the real culprits of wars, intending to divide democratic societies and make voters weary and disillusioned with democracy. Troll groups use different strategies in different linguistic and cultural contexts, but their goal is consistent: to weaken trust in governments and international organizations by inflaming emotions and conflicts, thereby dividing American society.

Throughout the events, four troll groups were the most representative, consistently appearing in monthly events. In addition to participating in the events mentioned above, these troll groups were also involved in foreign political activities. For example, Twitter #10946 and Twitter #10968 participated in European-related political events, while YouTube #253 and YouTube #72 echoed the Chinese state media narrative in the TikTok ban incident. These signs and the objectives of the troll groups suggest that they are not from any political party or civil organization, but are instead backed by foreign forces aiming to influence U.S. voters’ perceptions through information warfare.

Compared to the past, troll groups have become much more sophisticated. They no longer rely solely on mass article flooding or bot comments to manipulate voters’ perceptions but instead engage in targeted discourse on significant U.S. events to achieve their goals.

Methodology

The Taiwan AI Labs employ their analytical tool “Infodemic” to examine information operations across different social media platforms.

Download full report :Observing Information Manipulations Targeting US Presidential Elections from October 2023 to June 2024

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One-Week Observation of Information Manipulations Following the 2024 Trump Assassination Attempt

Executive Summary

From July 10, 2024, to July 17, 2024, Taiwan AI Labs observed 69 battlefields and 407 media reports related to the Trump assassination attempt. Within this dataset, 18 media reports (4.42%) were associated with state-affiliated media from China. Out of 713 identified troll accounts, 1,524 were active in discussions related to the Trump assassination attempt. The overall community volume was 312,507, of which 1,524 (0.49%) were associated with troll activities.

Digital discourse was shaped by orchestrated campaigns from troll groups, highlighting two main developments: the worsening political divisions in the U.S. and the potential impact on international conflicts, particularly the Ukraine-Russia War. These troll-driven narratives foster skepticism about the assassination attempt, promote conspiracy theories, and aim to deepen political polarization in American society.

Troll groups’ narratives also address broader issues beyond the assassination attempt, including U.S. political divisions, the upcoming presidential election, and the Ukraine-Russia War. These topics and strategies show a coordinated effort to shape public discourse and potentially influence international relations.

According to coordinated troll activity observed over the week, this report shows the troll-participated stories. These coordinated efforts manifest in several key areas: questioning the authenticity of the assassination attempt, drawing comparisons to historical events like Taiwan’s Chen Shui-bian shooting, criticizing security measures, and predicting impacts on the upcoming U.S. presidential election.

After recognizing the narrative strategies, we selected two significant troll groups for detailed analysis. These groups showed an unusual pattern of simultaneously focusing on multiple geopolitical issues, suggesting coordinated foreign attempts.

The two influential troll groups have distinct strategies to shape narratives. The first group focuses on U.S. politics and the Ukraine-Russia War. This group curated narratives from the Trump assassination attempt to criticisms of Biden’s foreign policy, aiming to influence public perception of both domestic and international issues. The second group dedicates its efforts towards the U.S. conflict involvement, particularly focusing on military aid to Ukraine and the assassination attempt. This group spreads narratives criticizing the U.S. spending on NATO and the UN, seemingly intended to block military aid and influence public opinion on the U.S. international involvement.

As the U.S. navigates through this critical period marked by domestic political tensions and international challenges, the role of digital platforms in shaping political narratives becomes evident. The orchestrated activities of troll groups highlight a complex web of influence aimed at destabilizing public discourse and potentially swaying electoral outcomes. This environment, ripe with disinformation and polarized ideologies, underscores the urgent need for robust mechanisms to safeguard the integrity of the democratic process and maintain stability in international relations.

Methodology

The Taiwan AI Labs employ their analytical tool “Infodemic” to examine information operations across different social media platforms.

Download full report :One-Week Observation of Information Manipulations Following the 2024 Trump Assassination Attempt

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