Foreign disinformation about Charlie Kirk’s killing seeks to widen US divisions
September 16, 2025
Russia moved quickly to exploit conservative activist Charlie Kirk’s shooting death at a Utah college, with groups linked to the Kremlin spreading false and misleading claims that experts say are designed to incite violence. Russia, China and other countries have long seized on high-profile events in the United States to portray the country as dangerous, polarized and dysfunctional. Experts say it’s part of an effort to undermine American democracy by inflaming partisan differences. Utah Gov. Spencer Cox has warned about foreign bots spreading false claims and urged people to ignore fear-inducing misinformation.