USA MAGA Bots Clash Over Trump-Epstein Scandal

[webfact]

File photo

 

A massive network of AI-driven accounts on X is splintering over contrasting messages about the Trump administration and its connection to Jeffrey Epstein. Researchers have identified over 400 fake accounts praising key Trump figures on X, which now display conflicting narratives post-Epstein files controversy.

 

The bot network, discovered by social media analytics firm Alethea and Clemson University researchers, usually spreads positive messages about Trump officials like Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. Despite possessing only a few followers each, these accounts contribute to an echo chamber effect, subtly influencing perceptions through sheer volume, according to Darren Linvill from Clemson University's Media Forensics Hub.

 

While certainty about who runs the network remains elusive, it's clear these accounts formed in batches last year and follow distinct patterns: irrelevant hashtags and repetitious replies, often mimicking the posts of others. Now, the Epstein files issue has fractured their usual narrative cohesion.

 

Initially, Trump's supporters believed he would reveal a supposed list of Epstein's influential clients. But when Attorney General Pam Bondi refused to release further Epstein files, bot messaging became erratic.

 

Simultaneously, some accounts defended Bondi, while others vehemently criticised her and Trump’s administration.

 

For instance, on a recent Saturday morning, one account advised a MAGA supporter to be lenient towards Bondi, while another account simultaneously presented an opposing viewpoint. Such contradictory posts highlight the AI-driven nature of these accounts, indicating they might be influenced by real socials, as suggested by C. Shawn Eib, Alethea’s head of investigations.

 

Fake accounts that promote various agendas, whether commercial or political, have long plagued social media ecosystems. The advent of AI chatbots has amplified these efforts by creating convincing narratives that require minimal human involvement. Meanwhile, social media companies have decreased their moderation efforts, further complicating the situation.

 

The White House, the Department of Health and Human Services, and X have all remained silent on the issue, offering no comments despite the growing bot prevalence. Alethea and Clemson’s findings underscore X’s ongoing battle with these inauthentic accounts, a challenge exacerbated by Elon Musk’s 2022 acquisition of X, which resulted in significant cuts to the site's trust and safety team, restricting researcher access.

 

In conclusion, while the bot network accounts for only a portion of inauthentic activity on X, it represents a new breed of AI-driven propaganda tools operating within an environment less capable of policing them. This situation risks the integrity of online discourse and presents an important problem for future digital spaces.

 

  Adapted by ASEAN Now from NBC NEWS 2025-07-21

 

 

[shdmn]

Pro Murica.  Pray for the bots.

 

 

 

[gargamon]

Social media is the end of civilization. X an AI are more nails in the coffin. 

[dinsdale]

Chinese bots?