Matt Taibbi: Latest Batch of Twitter Files Shows ‘Fraud’ Where an Anti-Trump Group Would Brand Real Americans as Russian Bots

KILMEADE He s one ░░░░░░░░ the few independent investigative ░░░░░░░░ left in this country ░░░░░░░░ founder and editor in ░░░░░░░░ of the newly minted ░░░░░░░░ Racket Matt last week ░░░░░░░░ were going to do ░░░░░░░░ but you were called ░░░░░░░░ go out and get ░░░░░░░░ Twitter file release What ░░░░░░░░ you find TAIBBI So ░░░░░░░░ the early Trump years ░░░░░░░░ was an organization called ░░░░░░░░ 68 that was the ░░░░░░░░ of probably hundreds of ░░░░░░░░ stories over the course ░░░░░░░░ a period of years ░░░░░░░░ was allegedly tracking Russian ░░░░░░░░ Their secret sauce was ░░░░░░░░ list of 600 accounts ░░░░░░░░ said were linked to ░░░░░░░░ influence Well in the ░░░░░░░░ files we found the ░░░░░░░░ And the list let ░░░░░░░░ just say is mostly ░░░░░░░░ of Russians but is ░░░░░░░░ of real Americans And ░░░░░░░░ they basically did is ░░░░░░░░ fraud They took ordinary ░░░░░░░░ of ordinary conservatives mostly ░░░░░░░░ essentially just called it ░░░░░░░░ influence KILMEADE The Hamilton ░░░░░░░░ is a fraud Hamilton ░░░░░░░░ was out there to ░░░░░░░░ Russian influence was actually ░░░░░░░░ there to stop conservatives ░░░░░░░░ pro Trump trending stop ░░░░░░░░ Trump popularity whether it ░░░░░░░░ Charlie Kirk which you ░░░░░░░░ earlier But this 68 ░░░░░░░░ an interesting way of ░░░░░░░░ things They would take ░░░░░░░░ trend credit it to ░░░░░░░░ Russian bot and diminish ░░░░░░░░ quality But it wasn ░░░░░░░░ just Twitter users Then ░░░░░░░░ entities New York Times ░░░░░░░░ Jones would go and ░░░░░░░░ off this So next ░░░░░░░░ you know this would ░░░░░░░░ pervasive all over mainstream ░░░░░░░░ Can you unwind that ░░░░░░░░ Yes So the key ░░░░░░░░ is that they built ░░░░░░░░ tool called the Hamilton ░░░░░░░░ dashboard that purported to ░░░░░░░░ Russian bots Again it ░░░░░░░░ based on 644 accounts ░░░░░░░░ we now know are ░░░░░░░░ organic accounts mostly real ░░░░░░░░ mostly in the west ░░░░░░░░ they would say these ░░░░░░░░ are now following let ░░░░░░░░ just say the FireMcMaster ░░░░░░░░ ReleaseTheMemo or IStandWithLaura or ░░░░░░░░ And then you would ░░░░░░░░ a flood of news ░░░░░░░░ coming out the next ░░░░░░░░ maybe in The New ░░░░░░░░ Times maybe The Washington ░░░░░░░░ maybe CNN maybe MSNBC ░░░░░░░░ would say Russian bots ░░░░░░░░ supporting this hashtag In ░░░░░░░░ there were no Russians ░░░░░░░░ there were very few ░░░░░░░░ let s put it ░░░░░░░░ way Most of these ░░░░░░░░ actual real Americans who ░░░░░░░░ just doing ordinary conversations ░░░░░░░░ Twitter KILMEADE So Mike ░░░░░░░░ let s get those ░░░░░░░░ again Mike McFaul ambassador ░░░░░░░░ Russia certainly has credibility ░░░░░░░░ Morell used to brief ░░░░░░░░ as well as Barack ░░░░░░░░ CIA guy And then ░░░░░░░░ as left wing as ░░░░░░░░ gets who was supposed ░░░░░░░░ be chief of staff ░░░░░░░░ Hillary Clinton ran her ░░░░░░░░ And Clint Watts an ░░░░░░░░ contributor So he could ░░░░░░░░ this false reporting as ░░░░░░░░ called experts in Russian ░░░░░░░░ on another news network ░░░░░░░░ is your reaction to ░░░░░░░░ reality that this was ░░░░░░░░ place And for those ░░░░░░░░ home who wonder what ░░░░░░░░ of impact it had ░░░░░░░░ do you think TAIBBI ░░░░░░░░ think these stories about ░░░░░░░░ bots influencing this or ░░░░░░░░ politician had an enormous ░░░░░░░░ and political impact over ░░░░░░░░ course of years in ░░░░░░░░ Although conservatives were definitely ░░░░░░░░ And in fact Twitter ░░░░░░░░ talked about that how ░░░░░░░░ was a site that ░░░░░░░░ take ordinary conversations between ░░░░░░░░ and accuse them of ░░░░░░░░ Russians You can see ░░░░░░░░ in my thread But ░░░░░░░░ also affected Democrats like ░░░░░░░░ Gabbard and Bernie Sanders ░░░░░░░░ this was this was ░░░░░░░░ site that basically went ░░░░░░░░ people anybody who was ░░░░░░░░ critic of the Democratic ░░░░░░░░ be it on the ░░░░░░░░ or right And we ░░░░░░░░ that in the composition ░░░░░░░░ the list which also ░░░░░░░░ people like the editor ░░░░░░░░ Consortium which is a ░░░░░░░░ magazine.”