Social media platform X implemented a new feature last week that reveals account locations, confirming what some users have long suspected: Many of the most popular and polarizing “Americans” on the platform are not Americans at all.

The “maga Nation X” account with almost 400,000 followers claims to be run by an “America First patriot.” The new feature shows it is based in “non-EU Eastern Europe”—which can mean either Russia or nearby nations that are known to host Russian troll farms.

Numerous other X accounts that present themselves as American patriots, including “Commentary Tom Homan,” “Trump Is My President,” “World of Statistics,” “MaryTilesTexas” and “Victoria000025,” were found to be based in this same region.

The Ivanka Trump fan account, “IvankaNews,” has around 1 million followers. The new feature revealed it is based in Nigeria, a nation where Russia operates many troll farms. Numerous other accounts, including “ultramaga trump 2028,” “maga Scope” and “GoddessGelai” are also Nigeria-based.

Many other seemingly American accounts were exposed by the update as being run from Turkey, the United Arab Emirates, Pakistan, India, Bangladesh and Southeast Asia.

The new feature also shows that many accounts use a virtual private network (vpn) to make their location appear to be in a certain location while keeping their actual locale hidden. Since the feature was rolled out, several prominent accounts, including some named above, have employed this same tactic. X exposes this by placing a security warning icon beside the user’s selected location. (At the time of writing, the security icon was showing up even on accounts that do not use a vpn, prompting speculation that X’s leadership has decided to disable the new location feature.)

Shaping Opinion and Stirring the Pot

In many cases, X’s legions of American impostures are simply engagement farming. They pose as Americans—often attractive women—to make money from X with “hot takes,” polls and other attention-grabbing posts.

For other foreign fraudster accounts, the goal is far more sinister.

It is well documented that the Russian government spends millions of dollars annually to keep operatives in Russia and abroad posting content around the clock to help the Kremlin shape narratives and influence public opinion. The regime of Russian President Vladimir Putin has also long tapped into the power of automation, using hundreds of thousands of bots to extend the influence of their trolls.

So it should come as no surprise to see many American impostor accounts posting a steady stream of anti-democracy, anti-rule of law, isolationistic and pro-Russia posts.

By masquerading as Americans as they blare these messages, the Russians behind the operation aim to use peer pressure to normalize certain geopolitical viewpoints. They want as many Americans as possible to see the postwar global order as a disaster that must be dismantled. They want Americans to think Russia should be free to conquer its neighbors and that it is not in the U.S.’s interest to resist such expansionism. If that narrative doesn’t catch on, Russians will settle for as many Americans as possible believing that efforts to resist Russia are futile.

The hope is to make real right-leaning Americans become anti-democracy, anti-rule of law, isolationistic and pro-Russia.

“Just think about the foreign influence operations that are happening right now on this app,” MeidasTouch cofounder Brett Meiselas said of the numerous imposter accounts. “Think about the lawmakers who feel pressured by accounts like this. Think about the disinformation that spreads as a result of all these accounts out there.”

In other cases, the American impostors seek to make right-leaning America appear more extreme than it actually is. The goal here is to provoke alarm and push left-leaning audiences toward ever more radical positions.

By this method, they aim to stir the pot, sow discord, and deepen divisions between Americans. Russians understand that if they can exacerbate polarization, erode trust, and turn Americans ever more against one another, the U.S. will be weaker and easier to challenge. They aim to unravel the very social fabric of America.

In his article “Wake Up! Russia Is Turning Americans Against Americans,” Trumpet senior editor Joel Hilliker wrote about the way Russia is using the Internet to poison Americans against each other:

Shouldn’t we feel some shame? Shouldn’t this stir some remorse for having let foreign antagonists fiddle with our emotions to turn us against our own countrymen? Shouldn’t this be a wake-up call to reunite and redirect our indignation against those who are plainly exposed as trying to sabotage us? … A strong, united America, with its eyes fixed on the facts and the real issues, would be invulnerable to these attacks.

He then explained the true source of such subterfuge:

Studying the Russians’ divide-and-conquer tactics … gives tremendous insight into the way the devil works. He is actively destroying this country. He is using every trick, tool and weapon he can to isolate us, break us and shatter us into rivalries. … He intermingles shards of truth and lies to create suspicion and fear, turning people against one another. He stirs us to cast reason aside and act out of pure, baseless emotion, passion and hatred.

To understand the biblical passages showing the reality of this situation, read “Wake Up! Russia Is Turning Americans Against Americans.”