A new transparency feature on X, the platform formerly known as Twitter, has sparked controversy by revealing that numerous popular pro-Trump and "America First" accounts are actually operating from countries outside the United States.
The feature, activated over the weekend by X's head of product Nikita Bier, was intended to enhance what he called "securing the integrity of the global town square." Instead, it has triggered what users describe as a "circular firing squad" of accusations as the true origins of many influential political accounts came to light.
Geographical Revelations Spark Outrage
Since the feature's implementation, users have been systematically uncovering the actual locations of accounts that heavily engage with US political discourse. The findings have proven startling to many within the platform's community.
An Ivanka Trump fan account that regularly posts about illegal immigration to the United States was discovered to be operating from Nigeria. Meanwhile, MAGAStorm, known for spreading conspiracy theories about the assassination attempt on Donald Trump, was traced to eastern Europe. Another account called AmericanVoice, which shares anti-Islam content, was found to be based in India.
What has particularly caught users' attention is the significant concentration of these accounts originating from Asian countries, despite their claims of American affiliation.
Monetising Political Rage
Experts are divided on whether these accounts represent state-backed influence operations or something more entrepreneurial in nature. Simon Copland, a researcher at the Australian National University, suggests financial motivation may be a key driver.
"Social media is really based on attention ... [and] on places like X or Twitter you can get money from that," Copland explains. He notes that in the current climate, posting about Donald Trump represents one of the most effective ways to generate engagement.
The timing coincides with X's 2024 announcement that creators would be compensated based on engagement metrics with their content. This change raised concerns that it would incentivise increasingly controversial posts designed to provoke strong reactions.
"That's where things like rage bait come about," says Copland. "People deliberately induce rage to try to encourage people to go on to the platforms" and interact with content.
A BBC investigation from 2024 indicated that some users could be earning thousands of dollars through such methods. For individuals in Southeast Asia, these sums could represent significant financial motivation.
From Internet Fringes to Mainstream Politics
The discovery of these accounts' true origins has led to broader questions about how ideas migrate from obscure corners of the internet into mainstream political discourse.
On the very evening that X began revealing account locations, Donald Trump shared a post from an account called Trump_Army_, which boasts nearly 600,000 followers. The account regularly amplifies conspiracy theories, including recent posts questioning whether "JFK was killed for trying to expose the same crooks Trump is now exposing." Shortly after Trump's endorsement, other users revealed that Trump_Army_ was operating from India.
Copland warns that these developments should be taken seriously, noting that "extreme ideas start in these dark corners of the internet. They spread, they become memes, they go on to more mainstream platforms and then you see politicians pick them up."
He points to Trump's May meeting with South African president Cyril Ramaphosa, where the former president confronted him about widely discredited claims of "white genocide" against South African farmers—theories that originally emerged from far-right online chatrooms.
As the platform continues to grapple with these revelations, many accounts identified as operating under false pretences have faced suspension, while the broader conversation about foreign influence in American politics gains renewed urgency.
