Foreign adversaries are not just watching the 2024 election - they’re already in the game.
A newly detailed CIA overview exposes how countries like Russia, Iran, and China are using deepfakes, bot farms, hacking campaigns, and covert propaganda networks to manipulate U.S. voters in real time.
From secret “Good Old U.S.A.” campaigns to manipulated debate prep leaks, the U.S. intelligence community is warning that foreign interference has evolved - and may already be shaping outcomes.
🔍 Deepfakes, Bot Farms, and the Rise of Digital Disinformation
Sophisticated AI-generated content is now being deployed at scale.
Russian networks have released deepfake videos impersonating American politicians.
One showed Vice President Harris in a fabricated hit-and-run.
Others planted false conversations before elections in Europe and Asia.
Meanwhile, Chinese-linked troll accounts and fake newscasters are targeting down-ballot races across the U.S.
The CIA and Microsoft both report an exponential rise in influence operations from all three major adversaries.
🧬 Iran’s Digital Infiltration
In 2024, Iranian hackers accessed sensitive material from both Democratic and Republican campaigns.
They leaked Trump’s debate prep materials.
They attempted to influence Biden campaign aides via stolen emails.
Their goal: destabilization and narrative control - not loyalty to any party.
🛰️ Russia’s “Good Old U.S.A.” Operation
The Kremlin’s latest effort, codenamed the “Good Old U.S.A.” Project, mapped out a plan to flood swing states with sleeper propaganda accounts.
Hundreds of fake social profiles were launched.
They were designed to blend into local online communities and inject disinformation when it mattered most.
Meanwhile, Russian-funded influencers were paid to push anti-Ukraine, isolationist views to mimic authentic American skepticism.
🗣️ How the U.S. Is (and Isn’t) Responding
The Foreign Malign Influence Center - led by intelligence analyst Jessica Brandt - is tasked with assessing threats and issuing public warnings.
But delays, secrecy, and politics continue to paralyze disclosure.
Many public warnings only come after journalists or tech companies expose the plots.
Even then, political figures spin the messaging - with Republicans accusing Biden’s team of downplaying Iranian threats, and Democrats warning of Kremlin support for Trump.
🧩 Who Decides What to Reveal?
The process for public intelligence warnings relies on an anonymous “experts’ group” of career intelligence staff.
Only when they unanimously judge a threat to be foreign, credible, covert, and serious does the leaders’ group of political appointees consider releasing it.
But political pressure and secrecy often stop information from reaching voters.
Three public notifications were approved this cycle - all involving Iran.
⚠️ What the Public Doesn’t See
Many details remain locked away:
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Who are the American influencers paid by Russia?
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Which swing-state races has China targeted?
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What misinformation is being amplified?
Indictments, leaks, and tech company reports provide only partial answers.
Even lawmakers express frustration with the lack of real-time transparency.
The intelligence community fears that over-warning may erode trust - but under-warning may let adversaries win.