Topic: Russian Bots

Senator Kamala Harris is dismissed as a viable vice presidential candidate after she blamed current racial unrest on "Russian bots" during an interview with Don Lemon. The discussion shifts to other potential picks for Joe Biden, including Stacey Abrams and Gretchen Whitmer, while suggesting that Harris has "the wrong script" for the current political moment.

The "Storm Area 51" Facebook event has garnered over 1.5 million sign-ups, prompting the Air Force to issue warnings about trespassing on live-fire training ranges. Some media reports have baselessly suggested the viral movement is the work of "Russian bots." The hosts discuss the possibility of the government charging for tours as a way to monetize the interest.

NPR suggested that Trump's attacks on tech companies were a distraction from the shutdown of fake accounts linked to Russia and Iran. The discussion shifts to why large platforms like Tumblr are not prosecuted under child pornography laws despite hosting lewd content. There is a question regarding the legal responsibilities of tech companies that act as government contractors.

The "Walk Away" campaign, where former Democrats share their reasons for leaving the party, is being dismissed by some as a "Russian bot" operation. The hosts argue it is a sincere movement using a "confession booth" video style borrowed from reality TV. They play a clip from a woman advocating for "freedom of thought" and walking away from political shunning.

In the United Kingdom, individuals questioning the official narrative on the Syrian chemical attacks report being labeled as "Russian bots" by the government. Sky News interviewed Ian Shilling, who claims the government is singling out dissenting voices to shut down critical thinking regarding military intervention.

Representative Eric Swalwell appeared on Tucker Carlson's program to argue that the Trump administration's narrative is being amplified by Russian bots. Swalwell claimed that the alignment between administration statements and Russian social media activity constitutes a "Putin narrative."

Democratic lawmakers Adam Schiff and Dianne Feinstein demand that social media companies investigate alleged Russian bot activity promoting the "Release the Memo" hashtag. The memo in question concerns alleged FBI surveillance abuses. Critics dismiss the request as pathetic, noting that the hashtag was largely driven by public figures and concerned citizens rather than automated accounts.

Hillary Clinton introduced the term "weaponized tech" to describe the 2016 election environment, alleging that the opposition used content farms and fake news. Clinton claimed that 1,000 Russian agents coordinated with bots to influence Facebook users. The hosts criticize the lack of specific examples provided during the interview and the lack of pushback from the moderators.