'Agent of influence': Expert warns Musk's tactics are straight out of ‘Russia’s playbook'

Tech billionaire Elon Musk’s increasing influence – not just in the United States as a close ally of the incoming president – but around the world is helping to fuel Russia’s war on democracy and mirrors tactics pulled from Vladimir Putin’s playbook, foreign policy researcher Olga Lautman warned Friday. She urged Democrats to investigate Musk’s “ties to Moscow, his access to U.S. government contracts, and his security clearance.” “Musk’s meddling extends beyond tweets, with secretive ties and calls to Putin and full control over Trump as he assumes the role of acting president-elect,” Lautman wrote. “By amplifying nationalist agendas, dismantling democratic norms, and aligning with authoritarian figures, Musk’s actions mirror Russia’s playbook for destabilizing Western democracies and advancing its geopolitical goals." She concluded her piece by warning readers that Musk’s growing influence is “increasingly alarming” and that his agenda aligns with “longstanding Kremlin goals of weakening America’s intelligence and security apparatus, as he runs disinformation and destabilization tactics designed to erode trust in public institutions.