MI5 and GCHQ analysts have identified a pattern of disinformation in Donald Trump’s recent social media posts that mirrors known Russian influence operations, according to a leaked intelligence briefing seen by this newspaper. The report, circulated among cabinet ministers on Tuesday, warns that the former president’s repeated use of false claims about electoral fraud and immigration – amplified by pro-Trump networks – follows a playbook first refined by the Kremlin’s Internet Research Agency. “The techniques are virtually identical: a core lie is introduced, repeated without evidence, then seeded through sympathetic channels until it becomes accepted truth among a target audience,” said a source familiar with the document.
The briefing notes that Trump’s posts on his Truth Social platform often include hashtags and phrases previously weaponised by Russian bots, such as “#StopTheSteal” and “#GreatAwakening”. British intelligence chiefs now fear that similar tactics could be deployed ahead of the next general election in the UK, with far-right groups already adopting the language of US conspiracy theories. A Downing Street spokesperson declined to comment on the leaked document, but a senior Labour MP called for an immediate inquiry.
“This is a direct threat to our democratic process,” said the MP, who spoke on condition of anonymity. “We cannot allow the same destabilisation that has poisoned American politics to take root here.
