The ADL Debunk: False Narratives Around the 2024 Presidential Election

False and misleading narratives about the upcoming 2024 U.S. presidential election are spreading widely among extremists and purveyors of hate and conspiracy theories.

While some of the most common mis- and disinformation narratives circulating today were also prominent during the 2020 election and the 2022 midterms, others are newer — inspired by current events in America and around the world. These narratives are also being deployed using a range of strategies and tactics that allow misleading content to fly under the radar.

Strategies and tactics

Foreign influence campaigns have already impacted the information landscape surrounding the election. In one recent and notable case, the Department of Justice seized 32 internet domains created by the Russian government to spread propaganda and disinformation in an operation colloquially known as Doppelganger, which aimed in part to influence voter sentiment in foreign elections and the U.S. presidential election, according to a September 2024 Justice Department announcement.

Many of the domains were created via “cybersquatting,” or registering misleading domains disguised as legitimate news websites. In the case of Doppelganger, these domains used trademarked logos and even the bylines of real journalists to spread fabricated articles — some of which promoted narratives related to how the U.S. government handles foreign and domestic issues and security threats.

An example of a fake “Fox News” domain from Doppelganger. (Source: DOJ)

One of the Doppelganger projects specifically targeted American citizens in swing states, “US citizens of Hispanic descent,” “American Jews” and “American gamers” on sites like Reddit and 4chan. Another campaign aimed to sway public opinion among the Jewish diaspora in the U.S. and Israel by framing Ukraine as a neo-Nazi-aligned enemy and drawing "parallels between Russia and Israel." One part of the planning document reads, "influencing the public opinion of Israel will impact the public opinion of Jewish voters in the US.”

Generative Artificial Intelligence (GAI) content has also been weaponized to spread election-related disinformation. In January 2024, robocalls using synthetic speech of President Joe Biden’s voice discouraged New Hampshire voters from voting in the primary election, which was scheduled two days later. In a February 2024 statement, the New Hampshire Attorney General’s office called the maneuver a form of “voter suppression.”

An excerpt from a robocall using synthetic speech of Joe Biden's voice, aired on CNN. (Source: CNN)

On January 31, 2024, pollster Patrick Ruffini posted what appeared to be photos of Black men canvassing for the Republican party with a caption on X that read: “Republican victory in 2024 depends on their being able to do this.” The images, however, were AI-generated — a tactic that many users mocked and denounced after the fact. After widespread ridicule, Ruffini deleted the post.

A since-deleted post from pollster Patrick Ruffini using GAI imagery. (Source: X)

One problematic side effect of increasingly convincing GAI content is the ability for people to cast doubt on the validity of authentic content — a phenomenon often referred to as “the liar’s dividend,” which is also contributing to misinformation campaigns.

In August 2024, conspiratorial influencers suggested that images of the crowd at a Kamala Harris rally in Michigan were CGI or AI-generated, in a supposed effort by her campaign to inflate her popularity. This claim is easily debunkable — the rally was covered by numerous media outlets, the photographs in question are available on sites like Getty Images and journalists reported thousands of people in the crowd.

Regardless of the method by which they are spread, false and misleading election narratives are designed to achieve a common goal: To sow distrust in the democratic process and call into question the validity of the election results.

The ADL Center on Extremism has tracked the following prominent false narratives surrounding the upcoming election.
 
False narratives about the 2024 election

FALSE NARRATIVE #1: Immigrants are helping Democrats steal the election

One of the most popular election fraud narratives alleges that large volumes of non-citizens have successfully registered to vote and are helping to “steal” the election in favor of Kamala Harris. Some have claimed that the Biden administration has been deliberately coordinating the influx of migrants to help achieve this goal.

A conspiratorial influencer suggests undocumented migrants have been imported into the U.S. by the government to help swing votes. (Source: Telegram)

In early September 2024, extremists and conspiracy theorists spread the false narrative that Haitian migrant communities in Springfield, Ohio, were killing and eating domestic pets. While not overtly election-related at first, the false claim quickly gained traction as political fodder — in most cases, to fuel the theory that Haitian migrants were specifically imported into swing states by the Biden administration to ensure a Harris win.

An X user shares a theory that Haitian migrants are being used to turn red states into blue states. (Source: X)

Conspiracy theorists have also expressed concerns about a lack of “voter ID” laws — as in, laws requiring voters to present valid ID at polling places, regardless of their prior registration status. Many claim that Democrats are outlawing these requirements because it will allow non-citizens to vote and make the election easier to steal.

REALITY: These claims are unfounded and advance the broader narrative that the election is being systematically rigged while demonizing innocent migrant communities. Undocumented migrants or migrants who are not U.S. citizens cannot legally register to vote, and therefore cannot influence election results. Also, eligible voters already go through a thorough identification process when they initially register. In several states like California — where “voter ID” laws have been highly debated — registered voters are not typically required to bring additional identification to polling places when they cast their ballots.

FALSE NARRATIVE #2: Jews, Zionists and Israel control the election results

A common talking point among antisemitic extremists and conspiracy theorists has long been that Jews control the U.S. government. Now, these groups are also promoting the false narrative that Jews, Zionists and Israel control U.S. elections.

Members of extremist groups, including neo-Nazis and white supremacists, have suggested that the winning candidate will ultimately be determined by “the Jews.” Antisemitic influencer Lucas Gage recently suggested that so-called “Jewish supremacy” is such a systemic issue across all candidates that voting is futile and that only an alternative political system can combat its influence.

A white supremacist suggests that Trump has been "selected" by "Jews." (Source: Telegram)

Across the political spectrum, influencers have also suggested that Israel is meddling in the U.S. presidential election. Sulaiman Ahmed, an anti-Zionist commentator and promoter of anti-Israel disinformation, alleged that Israel forced Joe Biden out of the 2024 presidential race to assert its control over the U.S.

Anti-Zionist influencer Sulaiman Ahmed claims Israel forced Joe Biden out of the 2024 presidential race. (Source: X)

REALITY: These false claims are merely iterations of classic antisemitic tropes about Jewish power and control. Extremists and antisemites spread them to corroborate the false narrative that there is a disproportionate influence of Jewish power in American politics, weaponizing the current discourse surrounding Israel to validate their claims.

FALSE NARRATIVE #3: Kamala Harris lied about her identity, credibility and eligibility to run for president

After Joe Biden dropped out of the presidential race in July 2024, some conspiracy theorists alleged that he was illegitimately removed by the Democratic Party to more convincingly “steal” the election from Republican contender Donald Trump. This claim helped fuel the many narratives disputing Kamala Harris’s eligibility as a presidential candidate.

Many questioned her credibility by sowing doubt in her status as an American citizen, invoking claims like the “birther” theories that surrounded former president Barack Obama. This accusation against Harris also circulated during the 2020 election cycle.

A post on X with 5.7 million views and a community note promotes the false claim about Harris’s eligibility. (Source: X)

Far-right commentator Matt Walsh pushed a sexist talking point by suggesting she “slept her way to the top,” while others questioned her identity as a Black woman. Conspiracy theorists also latched onto the narrative that Harris’s campaign is part of a media-coordinated “psyop,” claiming that the media has somehow fabricated Harris’s popularity to make her look like a more formidable opponent.

A conspiratorial influencer shares the claim that the Harris/Walz campaign is a “psyop.” (Source: Telegram)

REALITY: Harris is, in fact, an American citizen. She was born in California and identifies as both Black and Asian-American. False claims alleging that she “slept her way” to her current status are common misogynistic tropes, typically used to discredit women in positions of power.

FALSE NARRATIVE #4: The Trump assassination attempts were staged or “inside jobs”

On July 13, 2024, Thomas Matthew Crooks carried out an assassination attempt on Donald Trump at a campaign rally in Butler, Pennsylvania. Two months later, on September 15, 2024, the FBI thwarted another assassination attempt on Trump in West Palm Beach, Florida by Ryan Wesley Routh, who was arrested at the scene.

Left-wing conspiracy theorists quickly cast doubt on the authenticity of the well-documented incidents, suggesting that Trump’s own associates staged the attempts as a campaign strategy. In far-right and extremist spaces online, users suggested that the Democratic Party, Israel, “Jews” or the “deep state” carried out the attempts themselves.

An X space hosted by Goyim Defense League (GDL) leader, Jon Minadeo, titled "Jews Try To Assassinate Trump." (Source: X)

REALITY: There is no evidence supporting the claims that the assassination attempts against Trump were fake, nor is there any indication that they were planned by anyone but the would-be assassins themselves. Such narratives are common among conspiracy theorists following newsworthy or violent incidents, which they leverage to promote their own political ideologies.

FALSE NARRATIVE #5: The government is weaponizing or creating hurricanes to interfere with the election 

In late September 2024, Hurricane Helene swept through the southeast, hitting states like Florida, Georgia and the Carolinas. Severe flooding decimated parts of western North Carolina, leading to widespread damage, power outages and even deaths.

Conspiracy theories about the hurricane and the Federal Emergency Management Agency’s (FEMA) response emerged shortly after. Far-right commentators like Jack Posobiec capitalized on the opportunity to politicize the subject, suggesting that the government was blocking relief and aid to victims of Helene as a form of “voter suppression.” On X, Islamophobic commentator Laura Loomer asked if the aftermath was part of “planned mass chaos” from the Biden administration.

Far-right commentator Jack Posobiec alleges the government is “blocking relief” from swing states. (Source: Telegram)

Some suggested the hurricane itself was a product of a nefarious weather control conspiracy. Antisemitic influencer Stew Peters expressed his suspicion that the federal government “learned how to manipulate weather” to target “mostly white, Republican voters” right before the election. Similar theories continued to spread around October 9, 2024, when Hurricane Milton made landfall in Florida.

Antisemitic conspiratorial influencer Stew Peters blames “FEDS” for manipulating weather and targeting “mostly white, Republican voters.” (Source: X)

REALITY: FEMA and the U.S. government are not restricting aid to Hurricane Helene victims; this was one of many conspiracy theories about FEMA in the wake of Helene, which prompted the organization to set up a dedicated “Hurricane Rumor Response” page on their website. The government was not involved in the production or manipulation of these hurricanes, as humans cannot control or create extreme weather phenomena.

FALSE NARRATIVE #6: “Ballot trafficking” or “ballot harvesting” will lead to large volumes of fraudulent ballots

Widely popularized in 2020, this theory suggests that surveillance footage from recent elections shows evidence of individuals depositing large quantities of fraudulent ballots in drop boxes to falsely inflate votes for a single candidate. This narrative was also prevalent during the 2022 midterms, leading to organized “drop box monitoring” parties. The claim continues to be promoted ahead of November.

Self-described “election integrity” group True the Vote promotes surveillance of drop boxes ahead of the 2024 election. (Source: X)

REALITY: These theories have been widely debunked. Footage of alleged “ballot trafficking” shows voters taking part in the normal process of placing ballots in local drop box locations. It is not unusual for an individual to drop off several ballots at once; in most states, family members or other authorized individuals may drop off a ballot for someone who is not able to do so on their own.

FALSE NARRATIVE #7: Delayed election results are false election results

This longstanding election fraud narrative, popular in both 2020 and 2022, suggests that delays in reporting election results are evidence of nefarious behind-the-scenes attempts to swing the election. Promoters of this theory, which include QAnon adherents and general election fraud conspiracy theorists, have argued that these delays make it easier to commit election fraud and give bad actors more time to tamper with ballots.

A QAnon account suggests that a projected delay in election results indicates the election will be stolen. (Source: Telegram)

REALITY: Laws determining when and how election workers can start processing votes vary by state. Alabama, for example, does not allow the counting of absentee or mail-in ballots to begin until after the polls close on election day. These rules can also change between election cycles if amendments are made to existing laws.

FALSE NARRATIVE #8: Electronic voting machines are programmed to change votes 

Around October 18, 2024, new allegations supposedly from early voters in Georgia suggested that Dominion voting machines were switching their Trump votes to Harris votes.

A post on Telegram warns of voting machines “flipping votes” ahead of the November 2024 election. (Source: Telegram)

REALITY: This theory is not new and was repeatedly debunked when it first circulated in 2020. Dominion has since addressed and dispelled the recent allegations, citing “voter error” as the cause.

FALSE NARRATIVE #9: Michigan has more registered voters than citizens, suggesting fraud

On October 19, 2024, viral posts on sites like X, Rumble and more alleged that the state of Michigan has more registered voters than eligible citizens, implying that the state is at heightened risk of voter fraud. One post spreading this claim received at least 30 million views.

Antisemitic influencer Vincent James promotes the false “more voters than citizens” claim ahead of the November 2024 presidential election. (Source: Rumble)

REALITY: Michigan Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson debunked the narrative shortly after it emerged, clarifying that Michigan has “7.2 million active registered voters and 7.9 [million] citizens of voting age.”

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