Foreign Disinformation Campaigns Exploit Charlie Kirk Death to Deepen U.S. Political Divides

Russia, China, and Iran Exploit Charlie Kirk Shooting to Sow Division, Experts Say

Russia moved swiftly to amplify conspiracy theories surrounding Charlie Kirk’s killing just hours after it occurred, promoting alarming narratives suggesting America is descending into civil war, according to analysts monitoring foreign information operations.

Intelligence experts have identified coordinated efforts by Russian, Chinese, and pro-Iranian groups to spread disinformation about the shooting, each tailoring their messaging to advance specific geopolitical objectives while exploiting American political divisions.

“We’ve seen multiple Russian campaigns attempting to exploit Kirk’s death,” said Joseph Bodnar, senior research manager at the Institute for Strategic Dialogue. He noted that these operations frequently amplify existing domestic conspiracy theories rather than creating entirely new narratives. “They’re picking up domestic actors and amplifying them.”

Alexander Dugin, a Russian ultranationalist often referred to as “Putin’s brain” due to his influence on Russian foreign policy, tweeted “Charlie Kirk’s Death and the Coming Civil War.” Meanwhile, Russian state media published English-language articles with provocative headlines suggesting shadowy forces were behind the killing, asking questions like “Was Charlie Kirk’s Killer a Pro?”

Chinese disinformation has focused primarily on portraying the United States as inherently violent and dysfunctional, using the incident to highlight American gun violence and political extremism. Bot networks linked to Beijing have amplified messages characterizing the U.S. as a nation in decline.

In contrast, pro-Iranian groups have promoted antisemitic conspiracy theories claiming Israel orchestrated Kirk’s death. These narratives have found unexpected traction among certain white supremacist groups in the United States, demonstrating how inflammatory claims can transcend geographic, linguistic, and cultural barriers.

While foreign disinformation represents a small percentage of the overall online discussion about Kirk’s killing, experts warn it could undermine efforts to heal political divisions and potentially incite further violence.

The foreign influence campaigns come at a particularly vulnerable moment for U.S. counter-disinformation efforts. On Wednesday, the State Department announced it was ending its remaining programs to counter foreign disinformation, following an earlier decision to close the Global Engagement Center, an office that previously worked to identify and counter Russian, Chinese, and Iranian disinformation campaigns. Republicans had criticized the center, alleging it censored conservative viewpoints.

“Platforms like X are failing catastrophically to limit the reach of posts that celebrate murder and mayhem,” said Imran Ahmed, CEO of the Center for Countering Digital Hate, which tracks online disinformation. The organization’s research found posts calling for retaliatory violence following Kirk’s death have received approximately 43 million views on X alone.

The rapid spread of misinformation follows a pattern seen after other major news events, including hurricanes, wars, the January 6, 2021, attack on the U.S. Capitol, the COVID-19 pandemic, and the recent assassination attempt against former President Donald Trump. In each case, foreign actors have seized opportunities to promote narratives suggesting American institutions are failing and cannot be trusted.

Utah Governor Spencer Cox addressed the issue at a recent press conference, saying, “What we are seeing is our adversaries want violence. We have bots from Russia, China, all over the world that are trying to instill disinformation and encourage violence.” He urged Americans to ignore claims designed to elicit fear and suggested taking breaks from social media.

For their part, the implicated nations have denied involvement. A Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson rejected accusations, stating, “China condemns all unlawful and violent acts. That said, we firmly oppose some US politicians accusing China of ‘instilling disinformation and encouraging violence.'” Similarly, A.V. Bondarev, a spokesperson for Russia’s embassy in Washington, wrote in an email that “Russia does not interfere and does not intend to interfere in the internal affairs of other states, including the United States.”

The ongoing information warfare underscores the complex challenges facing authorities as they attempt to keep the public accurately informed while foreign actors actively work to hijack American discourse during moments of national tragedy.