‘Expect war’: leaked chats reveal influence of rightwing media on militia group

Leaked and public chats from Arizona -based “poll watching” activists aligned with a far-right militia group show how their election paranoia has been fueled by a steady drumbeat of conspiracy theories and disinformation from rightwing media outlets and influencers, including Elon Musk .

The materials come from two overlapping election-denial groups whose activists are mostly based in Arizona , one of seven key swing states.

Any prospect of a Harris victory is met with conspiracy theories, apocalyptic narratives, and sometimes threats.

The Guardian ’s review of the materials found many instances in which disinformation or exaggerated claims in the media or from rightwing public figures led directly to violent rhetoric from members of the chat.

Over the summer , overseas events fueled the paranoia of chat members.

As elections approached, AFPP members added more of Elon Musk’s pronouncements into the stew of disinformation on the site, with a particular emphasis on anti-immigrant material.

On 29 September , the AFPP lead account linked to a Musk post that claimed “ Millions of illegals being provided by the government with money for housing using your tax dollars is a major part of what's driving up costs”.