A new feature on X has uncovered that several prominent MAGA accounts on the platform are run by individuals located abroad. Since the revelation, former President Donald Trump has continued to promote numerous accounts. Many of these profiles, which boast significant followings and claim to be conservative voices based in Texas or “America First” accounts “promoting good and resisting evil,” are actually managed from places like Chile, Nigeria, Russia, and various Eastern European countries.
These accounts primarily discuss polarizing topics such as immigration, gender issues, and Israel. For example, a verified account named MAGA NATION, which has nearly 400,000 followers and features the American flag in its username, has been identified as being operated from a non-EU country in Eastern Europe. Some accounts even carry the names of Trump family members, like an Ivanka Trump news account boasting over 1 million followers that was based in Nigeria but has since been suspended.
On Saturday, Trump shared a screenshot on Truth Social of a post from an account called “Fan Trump Army,” which has over 500,000 followers and displays an image of Trump as its profile picture. According to the new X location feature, this account is run from India. Among its followers are individuals convicted for their roles in the January 6, 2021 Capitol attack, along with Michael Flynn, a former national security adviser who is now disgraced.
Recently, the account holder modified their bio to state: “An Indian who loves America, President Trump, Musk!” Previously, there was no indication that the account was managed from India.
On Sunday, Trump posted another screenshot on Truth Social, this one from a verified X account under the screen name “Commentary Donald J. Trump.” The post asked, “Would you support the idea of foreign-born citizens being barred from running for office? Yes or No,” accompanied by a photo of Representative Ilhan Omar alongside Omar Fateh, a Somali-American lawmaker in Minnesota who recently ran for mayor of Minneapolis but lost. This account features a picture of Trump as its profile image with a bald eagle in front of the American flag as a backdrop. X’s new feature indicates that the account appears to be managed from an African location, though it doesn’t specify the exact country.
In response to Trump’s post, many users called for a ban on foreign-born individuals holding political office, with some going as far as to demand the deportation of Omar and Fateh.
