Foreign and domestic forces target veterans with disinformation on social media as they seek to undermine U.S. democracy
A prominent veterans advocate wants the Biden administration and Congress to help retired servicemembers protect themselves from online disinformation following the deadly Jan. 6 riot at the Capitol.
Two veterans — one rioter and one police officer — died as a result of the failed attempt to block certification of the 2020 presidential election results after President Donald Trump claimed they were fraudulent. Numerous other retired servicemembers have been charged with crimes in the riot’s aftermath.
Since the riot, details have emerged about Ashli Babbitt, who spent 14 years in the Air Force before she was killed by Capitol Police while attempting to breach a room adjacent to the House floor. Babbitt was devoted to Trump, lies he told about the election and QAnon, the conspiracy theory embraced by some Trump supporters. Continue reading.