Russians Behind Fake Video of Ballots Being Destroyed, US Officials Report
In a joint statement on Friday, the Office of the Director of National Intelligence (ODNI), the FBI, and the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) labeled the video as Russian-made disinformation.
The US says a fake video made by Russians shows mail-in ballots for Trump being destroyed. The video tries to make people lose trust in the upcoming election.
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US officials revealed Friday that Russian actors created a viral video showing fake mail-in ballots for Donald Trump being destroyed in Pennsylvania. This video, which misleads viewers into thinking ballots were being torn up, has added to growing concerns about foreign influence in the upcoming US election.
The video spread quickly, reaching millions of views on platforms like X, the social media platform owned by Elon Musk (formerly Twitter). It shows a man appearing to go through mail-in ballots in Bucks County, Pennsylvania, tearing up those supposedly cast for Trump.
However, on Thursday, officials from the Bucks County Board of Elections announced that the video is fake. They clarified that the envelopes and materials shown in the footage were “clearly not authentic” and did not belong to or come from the county's election office.
The US government responded swiftly. In a joint statement on Friday, the Office of the Director of National Intelligence (ODNI), the FBI, and the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) labeled the video as Russian-made disinformation.
They said, "Russian actors manufactured and amplified a recent video that falsely depicted an individual ripping up ballots in Pennsylvania." Officials added that Russia is attempting to create doubt over the fairness of the election, using such tactics to stir up distrust and divide Americans.
According to the statement, Russia could release more misleading content in the days leading up to the November 5 election, with the intent to damage trust in the process.
This particular video came out at a critical time, just as the election between Republican candidate Donald Trump and Democratic candidate Kamala Harris enters its final days.
The video has also been confirmed as false by fact-checkers at AFP, a major news organization. According to researchers, the video was shared by a group known as Storm-1516, which is linked to the Kremlin and has been involved in other disinformation campaigns.
Darren Linvill, co-director of the Media Forensics Hub at Clemson University, has studied this network closely. He noted that the X account posting the video has previously spread other content from the same Russian network.
Storm-1516 has also released other fake videos targeting Vice President Kamala Harris and her running mate Tim Walz. Last month, Microsoft’s Threat Analysis Center reported that Russian operatives were stepping up their disinformation efforts, releasing videos that attacked Harris's campaign with conspiracy theories.
The US has warned that Russia is not alone in these tactics. Officials have also identified Iran and China as actively spreading divisive ideas aimed at weakening American unity and trust in the democratic system.
The ODNI recently released a report warning that such foreign influence will grow as Election Day approaches, especially through social media. Some posts may even be created or altered using AI, making them appear more realistic.
