Trump-linked dark-money group spent $90m on racist and transphobic ads in 2022, records show
https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/article/2024/may/17/trump-citizens-sanity-election-ads
Trump-linked dark-money group spent $90m on racist and transphobic ads in 2022, records show
https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/article/2024/may/17/trump-citizens-sanity-election-ads
22 comments
Sounds about reich.
Yeah, our joke of a SCOTUS allowed this with *Citizens United* and though it sucks, the only people who vote for Trump are, indeed, both racist and transphobic so I can’t say I’m surprised Trump spends money advertising at his target demographic. 🤷♀️
Capitalism has started to eat its own tail.
Least surprising headline of the day award.
Yes. This is what his supporters want
Every other democracy in the world has had massive critical thinking and propaganda awareness campaigns to combat this – America embraces disinformation. WHY?
Putting excerpts from this Senate Report right here:
*Putin’s Asymmetric Assault on Democracy in Russia and Europe: Implications for US National Security – A Minority Staff Report Prepared for the use of the Committee on Foreign Relations – US Senate, 115th Congress, 2nd Session, January 10, 2018*
(Committee Members: Bob Corker (R-TN), Chairman James E. Risch, (R-ID), Marco Rubio (R-FL), Ron Johnson (R-WI), Jeff Flake (R-AZ), Cory Gardner (R-CO), Todd Young (R-IN), John Barrasso (R-WY), Johnny Isakson (R-GA), Rob Portman (R-OH), Ohio, Rand Paul (R-KY), Benjamin L. Cardin (D-MD), Robert Menendez (D-NJ), Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH), Christopher A. Coons (D-DE), Tom Udall (D-NM), Christopher Murphy (D-CT), Tim Kaine (D-VA), Edward J. Markey (D-MA), Jeff Merkley (D-OR), Cory A. Booker (D-NJ), Todd Womack (Republican Staff Director), Jessica Lewis (Democratic Staff Director)
>‘‘It’s like mudwrestling a pig. You’ll both get dirty, but the pig will think it’s quite nice. This plays into their hands, whereas for us getting dirty is just a pain. Instead, we have to try to stay clean and focus on the part of our society that has to work: democracy and freedom of expression, to make sure that giving the citizens correct information becomes our best form of resistance.’’
>The Nordic states continue to raise their populations’ awareness of and resiliency to Kremlin disinformation campaigns. In advance of a military exercise in Sweden, which also included the other Nordic states, the Baltics, and the United States, the defense ministries of Sweden and Denmark released a joint statement announcing their intention to team up to deter Russian government cyberattacks and disinformation operations. And Sweden, which will hold elections in 2018, has begun ramping up its defenses against disinformation operations through its Swedish Civil Contingencies Agency (MSB). The agency has picked up on fake news stories that push narratives claiming that Sweden is a war zone and the rape capital of Europe, and that it has banned Christmas lights and the eating of bacon on trains. Echoing the U.S. experts hired by Finland, the head of MSB’s global analysis and monitoring section, Mikael Tofvesson, has emphasized that the MSB’s strategy is not to fight fire with fire, noting that:
>While consolidating his grip on power at home, Mr. Putinoversaw an opportunistic expansion of malign influence operationsabroad, targeting vulnerable states on Russia’s periphery, as wellas countries in Western institutions like the European Union (EU)and the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO).
**The Kremlin has substantially increased its investments in propaganda outlets beyond Russia’s borders, funded and supported nongovernmentalorganizations and political parties that advanced Mr. Putin’s antiEUand anti-NATO agenda, nationalized mafia groups to helplaunder money and commit other crimes for the state abroad, andused its near-monopoly over energy supplies in some countries toexert influence and spread corruption**.
>In semi-consolidated democracies and transitional governmentson Russia’s periphery, the Kremlin most aggressively targets statesthat seek to integrate with the EU and NATO or present an opportunity to weaken those institutions from within. For example, as Georgia and Ukraine moved closer to these institutions, the Russian government attacked them with cyberwarfare, disinformation campaigns, and military force. When the Kremlin’s attempt to politically influence Montenegro’s election failed, its security services allegedly tried to launch a coup. In Serbia, the Kremlin exploits cultural connections and leverages its near monopoly on energy supplies to attempt to slow down or derail the country’s Western integration efforts. And though they are in the EU and NATO, countries like Hungary and Bulgaria face acute challenges from the Russian government, which exerts significant influence in politics, business, and the energy sector. Despite some efforts to counter Russian malign influence, these countries remain significantly vulnerable to the Kremlin’s corrupt agenda.
>In consolidated democracies within the EU and NATO, the **Russian government seeks to undermine support for sanctions against Russia, interfere in elections through overt or covert support of sympathetic political parties and the spread of disinformation, and sow discord and confusion by exacerbating existing social and political divisions through disinformation and cultivated ideological groups**.
>This group of countries has developed several effective counter measures that both deter Russian government behavior and build societal resilience. **As it crafts its response, the United States should look to these lessons learned**:
>- The United Kingdom has made a point to publicly chastise the Russian government for its meddling in democracies, and moved to strengthen cyber security and electoral processes.
>- Germany pre-empted Kremlin interference in its national election with a strong warning of consequences, an agreement among political parties not to use bots or paid trolls, and close cyber cooperation between the government and political campaigns.
>- Spain has led Europe in cracking down on Russia-based organized crime groups that use the country as an operational base and node for money laundering and other crimes.
>- France has fostered strong cooperation between government,political, and media actors to blunt the impact of the Kremlin’s cyber-hacking and smear campaigns.
>- The Nordic states have largely adopted a ‘‘whole of society’’ approach against Mr. Putin’s malign influence operations, involving the government, civil society, the media, and the private sector, with an emphasis on teaching critical thinking and media literacy.
>- The Baltic states have kept their publics well-informed of the malicious activities of Russia’s security services, strengthened defenses against cyberattacks and disinformation, and diversified energy supplies to reduce dependence on Russia.
Link to report – https://www.foreign.senate.gov/imo/media/doc/FinalRR.pdf
I’m over here working long shifts and trying to keep my family safe, while they spend millions of dollars and uncountable hours to hurt me solely because I am transgender.
I wish republicans would find a hobby or do *something* that isnt about hurting anyone who isnt like them.
What’s the democratic counter to this? There WILL be even more massive spending in this election cycle, and it will get dirty. Dems response better not be the high road.
The records show that those ads were in fact racist and transphobic?
Isn’t it about time we had a ban on hate speech? We already have a ban on direct incitement of violence. We are well aware that this kind of speech leads to violence as well. These people and companies that donate to organizations that distribute this kind of content on mass media or the internet, and the individuals and companies that produce it, and the media companies and internet platform companies that ACCEPT MONEY to put the content on their platforms are ALL conspiring to create that violence. Beyond a reasonable doubt, they all are aware of what they are doing. They want to produce anger, they know that anger leads to violence, and they are targeting specific groups of people, sometimes specific individuals. It is arguable that it is already a crime under existing laws. Our representatives in congress should specifically clarify and codify it into law.
Citizens for sanity sounds like they meet a mental competency test
Considering the trouncing that Republicans and Trump-backed candidates experienced in ’22, that sounds like $90m well spent if you’re a Democrat or anyone else with basic decency.
Trump dark money = Russia
$90,000,000 on transphobic advertisement. $90,000,000 that could have been spent on relieving healthcare debt, on charitable food donations…if a house is $200,000, you could have housed 450 families with that amount of money.
They capitalized black in the article but not white. Buncha racists.
They will pay for targeting children with their hate.
He could beat a puppy to death with a baby and his followers wouldn’t bat an eye.
Please list examples of non racist, non ist in any form of any level of self claimed Republicans.
I would sleep better at night.
Damn – being a closet case is expensive!!
We have a media oligarchy – the real criminals here are the people that accept money to spread fascist lies.
Imagine spending 90 million on a hate campaign
Surprised it was only $90mil.