By Lucretia Hughes
HARTWELL, Ga. — A reader recently told me she was relieved to know that I physically exist and am not some form of artificial intelligence-generated psychological operation.
She owns my book and one of the signed Constitution pamphlets I mailed personally. She has watched my work and hopes to attend one of my rallies in Georgia.
Her comment was lighthearted, but the concern behind it is serious.
Americans are navigating a digital battlefield filled with fake accounts, coordinated propaganda, artificial intelligence and foreign influence operations designed to manipulate public opinion. The Chinese Communist Party is among the foreign powers accused of exploiting American social media platforms to spread propaganda, intimidate critics and deepen divisions.
This is not merely an internet conspiracy.
In 2023, the Justice Department charged 34 officers of China’s Ministry of Public Security with allegedly operating a covert online task force known as the “912 Special Project Working Group.” Prosecutors said the officers created thousands of fake social media accounts to harass Chinese dissidents, attack critics of the CCP and spread propaganda intended to divide Americans.
The defendants were accused of presenting themselves as ordinary people while operating from behind government-controlled accounts. They allegedly commented on American political issues, amplified approved narratives and attempted to drown out information unfavorable to Beijing.
That same year, Meta announced that it had dismantled what the company described as the largest known cross-platform covert influence operation in the world. The China-linked network, commonly called “Spamouflage,” included more than 7,700 Facebook accounts, 954 pages, 15 groups and 15 Instagram accounts.
The influence campaign extended across dozens of platforms, including YouTube, TikTok, Reddit and X. Its content promoted the Chinese government, attacked its critics and attempted to insert Beijing’s preferred narratives into political discussions around the world.
Artificial intelligence is making the threat harder to recognize.
Foreign actors can now produce convincing profile photographs, articles, videos and audio recordings within minutes. A single operator can control numerous accounts designed to appear as different Americans — conservative, liberal, Black, white, Christian, atheist, young or old.
The objective is not always to convince everyone of one political position. Sometimes the goal is simply to create confusion, destroy trust and encourage Americans to turn against one another.
A foreign influence account may repeat a belief you already hold because agreement earns trust. It may pose as a passionate patriot, community activist or concerned parent. Once it gains an audience, it can introduce false claims, attack credible voices or persuade people that participating in elections is pointless.
That is why discernment matters.
But Americans must also avoid labeling every person with an unpopular opinion as a foreign operative. Disagreement is not proof of a psychological operation, and accusations should not replace evidence. The First Amendment protects real Americans whose political opinions may be offensive, foolish or completely different from our own.
The challenge is exposing the foreign actors without allowing government officials or technology companies to use that threat as an excuse to silence lawful American speech.
The Justice Department has acknowledged that balance. Its stated approach focuses on identifying foreign actors and the accounts they control while emphasizing that efforts to combat foreign malign influence must remain consistent with the First Amendment.
Citizens can protect themselves by examining the source before sharing a post. Look at when an account was created, whether it has a genuine history and whether its photographs or biography appear copied. Be suspicious of accounts that post continuously, repeat identical language or exist primarily to provoke anger.
Search for the original video instead of trusting a short clip. Confirm explosive claims through multiple reliable sources. Pause before sharing anything designed to trigger an immediate emotional reaction.
Most importantly, support independent voices with a verifiable record.
I write under my own name. I appear live before my audience. I have testified before Congress, spoken at public events and met members of the Fam Fam face to face. My readers have received books, letters and Constitution pamphlets directly from me.
I am a real woman with a real family, a real faith and a real commitment to this country.
That human connection matters in an age when foreign governments and machines can manufacture identities overnight.
The CCP understands that America’s strength comes from free citizens exchanging ideas, questioning their government and holding leaders accountable. Its influence operations seek to exploit those freedoms by impersonating Americans and turning honest disagreement into destructive division.
We should not panic, and we should not become afraid to speak.
We should become harder to deceive.
Think before sharing. Verify before believing. Ask who benefits from the anger being created. Foreign propaganda loses its power when informed citizens recognize the manipulation and refuse to help spread it.
The digital battlefield is real. So am I.
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