Thread by @timkmak

How is Russia trying to boost Sen. Sanders' campaign?

Over the past six weeks, Russian public messaging has shifted to mirror pro-Sanders talking points first used in the last presidential campaign.

I take a deeper look here: npr.org/2020/03/05/812…

"What's really come on strong just in the last 30 to 45 days are very similar narratives that we saw in 2016 about Sanders," said Clint Watts of the Foreign Policy Research Institute.

Coverage on Sputnik and RT was more neutral in the fall

npr.org/2020/03/05/812…

Of course, Sanders has condemned any help from Russia:

"Hey, Mr. Putin, if I'm president of the United States, trust me, you're not going to interfere in any more American elections."

His campaign points out Russia just wants to create chaos.

npr.org/2020/03/05/812…

And it's worth noting, as campaign co-chair Rep. Ro Khanna points out, that Sen. Sanders has been a fervent advocate of solutions to foreign interference.

npr.org/2020/03/05/812…

Foreign Policy Research Institute research shows that Sanders received more positive coverage from Sputnik/RT than any of his competitors by far

... and less negative coverage than say a Bloomberg or a Biden story could expect to receive

npr.org/2020/03/05/812…

In OCt Facebook suspended Instagram accounts originating in Russia but targeted at an American audience

Of those, four accounts were focused on pro-Sanders content.

He was the only candidate on the Democratic side who was a focus of these fake accounts

npr.org/2020/03/05/812…

Jessica Brandt at the Alliance for Securing Democracy:

"Those [pro-Sanderes narratives] tend to be that the corporate media and the Democratic establishment, the DNC and elites, are rigging the system against him and endeavoring to deny him a win."

npr.org/2020/03/05/812…