Russia 'amplified' Trump’s lies about hurricane relief to 'sow distrust in US institutions'
A new report details how Russian actors played a significant role in the spread of disinformation concerning the federal response to Hurricanes Helene and Milton this fall.
On Thursday, the Institute for Strategic Dialogue (ISD) — a Washington, D.C. based think tank that researches extremism, polarization and misinformation — published a detailed report into how Russia capitalized on America's partisan climate in the wake of both hurricanes. Researchers found that Russian actors aimed to "sow distrust in U.S. institutions" by "attempting to exploit existing frustrations among certain political groups."
One particular talking point Russia seized on was the false claim that U.S. support for Ukraine's defense against Russia's invasion was diverting federal money from hurricane victims. Of course, this is flatly untrue: The last Ukraine aid package was appropriated by Congress months before the hurricanes hit.
READ MORE: 'Totally out of luck': How Project 2025 would gut relief for Hurricane Helene victims
However, Russian disinformation artists still managed to seize on that narrative as a means of undermining American support for Ukraine. The Vladimir Putin regime was particularly fond of billionaire X owner Elon Musk's tweets making that point for them, according to ISD.
"Similarly, Russian media echoed remarks from former President Donald Trump in which he criticized the Biden administration’s supposed focus on Ukraine over domestic disaster recovery," ISD researchers wrote.
Russian actors also shared fake AI-generated images of supposed flooding at Disney World in Florida that never actually occurred. Moscow-based news outlet RIA Novosti shared the fake images on the social media app Telegram in the hopes of reaching English-speaking audiences.
"The Kremlin’s overarching goal in these disinformation campaigns is not simply to critique the Biden administration’s handling of Hurricanes Milton and Helene, but to sow distrust in US institutions," ISD wrote. "By painting the U.S. government as either incompetent or actively malicious, Russian media attempts to undermine public confidence in the U.S. disaster relief system, federal agencies including FEMA and broader political leadership.
READ MORE: Trump — who has $4 billion — is now asking other people to donate to Helene relief
The Biden administration's response to the hurricanes was praised by governors of affected states representing both parties. Georgia Republican Governor Brian Kemp noted that after Helene ravaged his state, Biden called him personally and simply asked: "What do you need?" South Carolina Republican Governor Henry McMaster also praised FEMA's rapid recovery efforts in the Palmetto State. And North Carolina Democratic Governor Roy Cooper heaped praise on Biden for deploying thousands of federal employees and equipment to help rescue stranded residents and rebuild infrastructure.
"We’re grateful for the quick actions and close communications that we have had with the president and with the FEMA team,” Cooper said. “And Mr. President, we know that we have made a lot of asks of you, and we are grateful for your ear and for your actions.”
READ MORE: 'All because of greed': 6 die at factory that told employees to work during Helene or be fired
Click here to read ISD's report in full.
