Brian Ross Investigates – Just a Russian Coincidence?

TL;DR

Russians targeted African American voters in an effort to suppress their turnout during the 2016 election, paralleling the strategy of the Trump campaign.

Transcript

good evening and welcome tonight what you did not hear about during the testimony a former Special Counsel Robert bowler before Congress the facts of how the Russians targeted african-american voters in an effort to keep them from going to the polls a strategy that almost exactly paralleled that of the Trump campaign during the last election politi... Read More

Key Insights

• 🤪 Russian interference in the 2016 election went beyond hacking and social media manipulation and included targeted efforts to suppress African American voter turnout.
• 🏈 Turnout among African American voters decreased significantly, potentially impacting the election results.
• 🤨 Paul Manafort's sharing of internal campaign data with a Russian operative raises suspicions of collusion between the Trump campaign and Russia.
• 🚂 There is a need for further investigation into the financial motives behind the cooperation with Russia.
• 💼 Robert Mueller may have chosen not to delve into certain aspects of the investigation due to ongoing cases and jurisdiction limitations.

Questions & Answers

Q: How did the Russians target African American voters during the 2016 election?

The Russians created Facebook pages, trolls, memes, and fake personas associated with the Black Lives Matter movement to discourage African Americans from voting. They spread misinformation suggesting that African Americans should not vote.

Q: Did the Russian interference result in a decrease in African American voter turnout?

Yes, turnout among African American voters decreased by 765,000 nationwide in the 2016 election, according to the Pew Research Center.

Q: Was there collusion between the Trump campaign and Russia?

Paul Manafort, Trump campaign chairman, shared internal polling data and campaign messaging with a Russian operative. This indicates possible collusion between the Trump campaign and Russia.

Q: Why didn't Robert Mueller investigate the financial motives behind the cooperation with Russia?

Mueller's mandate was to investigate Russian interference in the election and whether anyone from the Trump team was involved. Investigating financial motives and connections fell outside his jurisdiction.

Summary & Key Takeaways

• The Russians set up 30 Facebook pages targeting African Americans and used trolls, memes, and fake personalities associated with the Black Lives Matter movement to discourage African Americans from voting.

• Turnout among African American voters decreased by 765,000 nationwide in the 2016 election, potentially impacting the election results.

• Paul Manafort, Trump campaign chairman, shared internal polling data and campaign messaging with a Russian operative, indicating possible collusion between the Trump campaign and Russia.