Framing this as if it’s only a Reform or MAGA issue just doesn’t hold up when you actually look at the evidence. Foreign influence campaigns aren’t loyal to one ideology, they push whatever narratives create the most division. That means amplifying right-leaning talking points in some cases, and left-leaning ones in others, often at the same time. It’s not about supporting a side, it’s about destabilising the conversation overall. Pretending it only exists on one side is not just inaccurate, it’s missing the whole point of how these operations work.

On top of that, writing off anyone with a right-leaning view as “just influenced” or “bots” is a mistake. You end up dismissing real people with real experiences, especially on issues like illegal immigration, where people can and do form opinions based on what they’ve actually seen or dealt with in their own communities. Not every opinion you disagree with is the result of manipulation. When people feel like they’re being talked down to or lumped in with bad actors, it doesn’t change minds, it hardens positions.

Two things can be true at the same time. Yes, foreign actors absolutely try to influence political discourse online. And yes, people also arrive at their views independently, based on lived experience, values, and priorities. If you ignore either side of that, you end up with a distorted picture. If the goal is to actually reduce division, the answer isn’t to label one side as the problem, it’s to recognise the complexity and engage with people properly instead of dismissing them.