How Pro-Trump Russian Trolls Targeted Bernie Backers

April 12, 2019 2016 Election, Russia

The Washington Post reports:

A pair of Clemson University researchers, at the request of The Washington Post, examined English-language tweets identified as coming from Russia, many of which were designed to influence the election. The effort to promote Sanders as a way to influence the U.S. election began shortly after he declared his candidacy in spring 2015, according to Mueller’s indictment of the Russians. Russia’s aim was to defeat or weaken Clinton, who had angered Russian President Vladimir Putin when she had been secretary of state.

Russian trolls significantly increased their effort to persuade Sanders supporters to oppose Clinton in the general election. One of their methods was to try to convince African Americans that they couldn’t trust her. “#BlackMenForBernie Leader Switches to Trump! I will Never Vote for Hillary, Welcome aboard the Trump Train,” said a tweet from an account that was said to come from Texas and was identified as “Southern. Conservative Pro God. Anti Racism.” The account, actually operated by a Russian, had 72,121 followers.

The Hill reports:

About 12 percent of Sanders voters said they ended up voting for Trump over Clinton in the general election. That was smaller than the 24 percent of Clinton supporters who said they voted for Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.) in his 2008 bid for the White House against the eventual winner, President Obama. Still, the number of Sanders voters who supported Trump in key swing states (Michigan, Wisconsin, and Pennsylvania) was higher than Trump’s margin of victory in those states.

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