Overview

• AP reporting documents Russia, China-linked accounts and pro‑Iranian networks rapidly pushing tailored conspiracy narratives after the shooting to deepen U.S. divisions.
• Russian voices tied the killing to U.S. Ukraine policy, amplified Alexander Dugin’s “Coming Civil War” message, and bot accounts blamed Democrats while forecasting more violence.
• Chinese-linked bot activity portrayed the United States as violent and dysfunctional, while pro‑Iranian influencers pushed antisemitic falsehoods blaming Israel that later circulated in U.S. extremist spaces.
• Experts say foreign content represents a small share of posts yet proves potent by recycling domestic claims for greater reach, according to the Institute for Strategic Dialogue’s Joseph Bodnar.
• The Center for Countering Digital Hate counted 43 million views for calls to retaliatory violence on X, China issued a formal denial of bot-driven amplification, and the State Department moved to wind down remaining anti-disinformation efforts.