I’ve written about FUD (Fear, Uncertainty,

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inconsistent messaging about coronavirus creates

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bogus cures, poorly made preventatives, and

outright scams. The same is true of the

president’s tweets about delaying the election.

It’s not hard to imagine propagandists seizing on

this and other inaccurate Trump tweets about

election security to sow confusion before

November. A Russian troll could quote-tweet the

president and say, “It happened! The election is

now next week!” The idea that the election could

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fertile ground to germinate.

THE REAL GOAL

The president’s tweet is dangerous simply

because it’s confusing, and it comes amidst a

multitude of crises that have overwhelmed

Americans and the American government. The

tweet has made things worse, but will it—or any

amount of FUD combined with foreign

propaganda—be enough to sway an election?

Maybe, but it probably doesn’t matter, because

more than likely the goal of foreign interference

in the US election isn’t actually to get a particular

candidate elected. It’s to create discord and

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general. And in that respect, confusing tweets

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land do just that.

[email protected]

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