“Former advisers and employees of Trump promote a site that spreads Russian fakes about the war against Ukraine — The Guardian September 19, 18:24 Share: George Papadopoulos and his wife Mangiante (Photo: Simona Mangiante Papadopoulos / X) In the United States, a group of former advisers to the presidential candidate from Donald Trump’s Republican Party helped create the pro-Russian Intelligencer website, which spreads pro-Russian fakes and war conspiracy theories. About”, — write on: ua.news
George Papadopoulos and his wife Mangiante (Photo: Simona Mangiante Papadopoulos / X)
In the US, a group of former advisers to Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump helped create the pro-Russian website Intelligencer, which spreads pro-Russian hoaxes and war conspiracy theories.
This was reported by The Guardian on Thursday, September 19.
According to the publication, the site was launched at the end of 2023, half of the Intelligencer board members are former advisers and employees of Trump. The councilor leader is also a member of the site’s board “LPR” by Leonid Pasichnyk Anna Soroka.
Journalists note that Trump’s former aide George Papadopoulos and his wife Simona Mangiante work together with “Kremlin state media contributors.”
According to Emma Briant, associate professor of news and political communication at Monash University in Australia, using famous people to spread pro-Russian political messages is a change in disinformation tactics.
““Since the invasion of Ukraine, Russia has increasingly been forced to rely on networks of proxies and influencers whose conspiracy ‘brand’ generates revenue and audience through social media monetization,” Briant said.
The Guardian notes that the site’s opaque ownership structure makes it difficult to “understand its financial support, so there is no direct evidence of Kremlin funding.” Journalists found out that the site began its work in Australia under the name Radio TNT, which was launched in 2022. Back then, the hosts and guests of the show often supported pro-Russian views on the war in Ukraine and spread conspiracy theories about Covid-19.
Journalists note that site board member Papadopoulos is the most famous former Trump official. He served as a foreign policy aide for Trump’s 2016 campaign. His wife Mangiante published an interview with former Ukrainian deputy Andrii Derkach, who spread false claims about bribery by the Biden family in Ukraine.
The Guardian also claims that Mangiante, along with “colleague about the board” Ihor Lopatonok, made the documentary Hunter’s Notebook: Requiem for Ukraine.
“Intelligencer content also attracted the attention of European propaganda media. The Pravda-en website linked to and promoted Intelligencer articles, including one criticizing the OCCRP report on Lopatonok,” the article said.
