CCP-linked antisemitic trolls are targeting down ballot Republicans in election influence operation: Microsoft
Antisemitic Chinese spambots are targeting Republican lawmakers, Microsoft says
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Chinese communists are attempting to influence U.S. elections with an online spambot campaign that targets Republican lawmakers who have denounced the People's Republic of China, according to Microsoft.
The latest Microsoft Threat Analysis Center (MTAC) report details how fake social media accounts operated by a CCP-linked entity have attempted to influence voters in Alabama, Texas and Tennessee with a series of antisemitic posts denigrating Reps. Barry Moore, R-Ala.; Michael McCaul, R-Texas; and Sen. Marsha Blackburn, R-Tenn. Experts say the influence operation has also targeted Senate Intelligence Committee Vice Chair Marco Rubio, R-Fla., who is not up for re-election until 2028.
The spambots have "parroted antisemitic messages, amplified accusations of corruption and promoted opposition candidates," according to Microsoft.
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Microsoft identified the group responsible as Taizi Flood, aka "Spamouflage," which has previously been linked to China's Ministry of Public Security, researchers said.
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People stand in a line to vote, shortly before the polls close, during the Super Tuesday primary election in Edinburg, Texas, on March 5. (Reuters/Cheney Orr / Reuters Photos)
A spokesperson for China's embassy in Washington, D.C., told Reuters that China "has no intention and will not interfere in the U.S. election" and that such claims are "full of malicious speculations."
Microsoft said that at least one Taizi Flood bot targeted Moore over his support for Israel. "The Taizi Flood posts about Moore frequently used antisemitic language. The posts received engagement from legitimate online users and were further amplified by other Taizi Flood assets online," the report said.
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Sen. Marco Rubio, R-Fla., looks on in the spin room ahead of the debate between former President Trump and Vice President Kamala Harris in Philadelphia on Sept. 10. (Reuters/Evelyn Hockstein / Reuters Photos)
"At the same time, roughly two dozen Taizi Flood accounts posted various narratives accusing Senator Marco Rubio of corruption and connecting Rubio to criticisms made about the Harris-Walz campaign. MTAC has observed Chinese influence operations targeting Senator Rubio intermittently since the lead up to the 2022 midterm elections."
Representatives for Rubio did not immediately respond to FOX Business' request for comment.
Blackburn indicated in a statement that she believes China was retaliating against her for her opposition to TikTok, a popular short-form video social media application.
"As long as I am going after their number one surveillance weapon — TikTok, holding them accountable for the damage they are doing to our children, working to keep them from buying up our farmland, and prohibiting them from spying on our citizens, I am their worst enemy. The CCP will continue to try to carry out their malign attacks against me but nothing will deter me from the mission: breaking China." said Blackburn.
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Rep. Michael McCaul, R-Texas, speaks to reporters in the Longworth House office building on Capitol Hill in Washington, D.C., on Oct. 11, 2023. (Reuters/Kevin Lamarque / Reuters Photos)
Microsoft said the bots began targeting Blackburn in September by amplifying claims from her Democratic opponent that she took money from pharmaceutical companies. They also accused McCaul of engaging in insider trading.
Though the Microsoft report found the spam posts did not result "in high levels of engagement," lawmakers said they were aware of the campaign and criticized the antisemitism of the CCP.
"We know that the CCP is antisemitic, so it isn’t surprising that they are targeting me and other politicians who support Israel to try to sow division in advance of the most important election in our lifetime," Moore told Reuters.
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"China has made it clear they will use every weapon in their arsenal, including offensive cyber capabilities, to try and destroy democracy across the world," he added.
In comments to Reuters, McCaul said he considered the targeting a "badge of honor" as he's made "standing up to the CCP a central part of my career."
The Office of the Director of National Intelligence, which is coordinating the federal effort to defend the election from foreign influence, referred Reuters to a past statement.
"Foreign actors — particularly Russia, Iran, and China — remain intent on fanning divisive narratives to divide Americans and undermine Americans’ confidence in the U.S. democratic system," it said.
Reuters contributed to this report.