On Wednesday, October 23, Microsoft released a new study indicating that a large army of social media bots controlled by the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) is attempting to influence the U.S. election by defaming several Republican members of Congress who take a tough stance against the CCP. These senators and representatives have responded strongly to these attacks.
Microsoft emphasized that the CCP’s influence operations are targeting federal lawmakers such as Barry Moore from Alabama, Marsha Blackburn from Tennessee, Michael McCaul from Texas, and Marco Rubio from Florida.
These bot armies criticize Moore for his support of Israel using anti-Semitic language, malign Rubio for alleged involvement in financial corruption schemes, spread rumors about Blackburn receiving money from pharmaceutical companies, and propagate allegations of insider trading against McCaul.
Rubio stated in a response that he believes the CCP’s goal is to “shape Americans’ views on critical issues and target specific candidates, especially those they consider anti-Communist.”
Rubio, a senior Republican senator on the Senate Intelligence Committee, also remarked that the CCP is becoming increasingly aggressive and needs to be taken very seriously.
Senator Blackburn declared in a statement that she will not give up her mission to take down the CCP.
McCaul is a leading figure in the U.S. Congress advocating a tough stance against the CCP. He was sanctioned by Beijing last year after visiting Taiwan. McCaul commented in a statement that he considers it an honor when “the Chinese Communist Party—an egregious violator of human rights, censor of free speech, and oppressor of its people—takes issue with my work.”
He also reaffirmed that fighting against the CCP is a core part of his career.
Representative Moore stated in a response, “America must be prepared to resist the aggression of China (CCP) and continue to stand with Israel and Taiwan.”
Moore also noted that “China (CCP) has clearly stated that they will use all the weapons in their arsenal, including offensive cyber capabilities, to attempt to destroy democracy worldwide.”
Moore, McCaul, and Blackburn are all running for reelection next month. Rubio serves as the Vice Chairman of the Senate Intelligence Committee and will seek reelection until 2028.
Clint Watts, the General Manager of the Microsoft Threat Analysis Center, stated in a press release, “History shows that the rapid dissemination of deceptive content by foreign actors can significantly influence public opinion and election results. Voters, government agencies, candidates, and political parties must pay special attention to the 48 hours before and after Election Day to remain vigilant against deceptive and suspicious online activities.”
(This article references reports from The Guardian, Semafor, and Reuters)