A bombshell Zoom recording has surfaced, revealing deceptive tactics employed by the Biden-Harris campaign during the 2020 election. The recording, obtained by journalist Matt Orfalea, sheds light on the campaign’s systematic efforts to label legitimate concerns about Joe Biden’s cognitive abilities as “disinformation.” This revelation has sent shockwaves through the political landscape, raising questions about transparency and trust.
The Zoom call features key figures from the Biden campaign, including Rob Flaherty, the digital director for the campaign and now Deputy Campaign Manager, Becca Rinkevich, Biden’s Rapid Response Director, and Tim Durigan, the creator and lead analyst of the DNC Counter-Disinformation Program. During the call, Flaherty discusses the Democratic National Committee’s (DNC) strategic initiative to detect, track, and censor misinformation. He describes this initiative as “critical” and “one of the more important decisions” made by the party in recent years.
Becca Rinkevich, Biden's Rapid Response Director (later WH Deputy Director of Digital Strategy), also classified talk of Biden's mental decline as "disinformation"—"disinformation around his mental acuity". /6 pic.twitter.com/GZMJclMYNs
— Matt Orfalea (@0rf) August 7, 2024
Flaherty candidly explains how the DNC invested in a team to flag harmful narratives to social media platforms, ensuring they were marked as violations of policy. This included concerns about Biden’s mental fitness, which were dismissed as disinformation. Rinkevich echoed this sentiment, highlighting the significant impact such narratives had during the campaign. She detailed how the team identified voters based on online behavior and tailored messaging to counteract disinformation about Biden’s mental state.
Biden/Harris digital director Rob Flaherty says the DNC created a program to detect, track, and censor what it deemed "misinformation" (like Biden's mental decline). He calls it "critical" and "one of the more important decisions" made by the party in recent years. /2 pic.twitter.com/pbIqUnY8ib
— Matt Orfalea (@0rf) August 7, 2024
The recording also reveals the campaign’s use of psychographic targeting, a tactic reminiscent of Cambridge Analytica’s controversial methods during the 2016 election. This involved creating personas based on voters’ online behavior and targeting them with curated content to reshape their perceptions. For instance, if someone searched for terms like “Biden” and “senile,” they were shown videos of Biden speaking clearly to counteract any narratives suggesting cognitive decline.
The Biden/Harris team microtargeted voters exposed to the "disinformation" (aka reality) of Biden's mental decline. They used psychographic targeting, a tactic that Cambridge Analytica was highly scrutinized for after the 2016 election. /7 pic.twitter.com/YDTjbAU9YX
— Matt Orfalea (@0rf) August 7, 2024
The campaign also leveraged online influencers to combat disinformation. Flaherty cited concerns over Biden’s mental fitness as an example of disinformation that needed addressing through digital organizing. This approach extended into the White House, with efforts to pressure social media platforms like Facebook to censor conservative voices, such as Tucker Carlson and Tomi Lahren.
Emails show Flaherty carrying out the (supposedly) counter-misinformation program in the White House, pushing Facebook to censor Tucker Carlson for correctly saying the COVID-19 vaccine didn't stop transmission, and Tomi Lahren for her strong "my body, my choice" stance. /3 pic.twitter.com/QgtATjqI2Z
— Matt Orfalea (@0rf) August 7, 2024
Tim Durigan raised concerns about what he described as “true misinformation,” suggesting a desire for social media platforms to suppress even accurate information if it contradicted the party line. This approach, promoting “authoritative” sources like The New York Times, aimed to maintain a controlled narrative.
The Zoom host asks about the "big problem" of "true misinformation". Durigan says it's a "huge problem" & wants social media to suppress "true misinformation" to promote "authoritative" news sources like NYT. Big Tech's done that since '18, but apparently not enough for Tim. /14 pic.twitter.com/qg1ioQ8VGY
— Matt Orfalea (@0rf) August 7, 2024
These revelations have significant implications for the current political landscape and public trust. The exposed tactics highlight a troubling trend of manipulating information to control public perception. This not only erodes trust in political campaigns but also raises ethical questions about the extent to which parties should go to maintain a favorable image.
As the public digests these revelations, the Biden-Harris campaign faces increased scrutiny. The fallout from this bombshell recording could have lasting effects, influencing how future campaigns approach information control and transparency. The political saga continues to unfold, with the public eagerly watching how these revelations will impact the trust and credibility of political leaders.