X’s ‘About This Account’ Tool Exposes Many Prominent MAGA Accounts as Foreign‑Run

Elon Musk’s social network X rolled out a new transparency feature, About This Account, which quickly revealed that a number of high‑profile MAGA and right‑wing influencer pages appear to be operated from abroad. The tool displays where an account is based, when it joined X, how often its username has changed, and how the app was downloaded — information that users began checking within hours of the rollout.

Opponents on the platform flagged dozens of major accounts that present as American conservative voices but show origins in countries such as Russia, India, Nigeria and parts of Eastern Europe. Among the examples widely shared were MAGANationX — a page with nearly 400,000 followers listed as based in Eastern Europe — and IvankaNews, a roughly 1 million‑follower Ivanka Trump fan account identified as operating from Nigeria.

Public reactions ranged from triumph to alarm. Democratic influencer Harry Sisson wrote that the revelations were “one of the greatest days on this platform,” saying they vindicated long‑standing concerns about disguised foreign actors. Law student and left‑wing commentator Micah Erfan said the disclosures were “total armageddon for the online right,” suggesting many large accounts may not be authentic U.S. voices.

“Just think about the foreign influence operations that are happening right now on this app,” said Brett Meiselas, co‑founder of MeidasTouch, calling attention to how such accounts can push disinformation and pressure lawmakers.

X’s head of product development, Nikita Bier, acknowledged the rollout had “a few rough edges,” noting that location data can be obscured by VPNs and that the company plans to improve the system. Users reported the feature was briefly taken offline hours after launch, prompting speculation about the cause; it appeared to be restored by the time these reports circulated.

Analysts point out that the use of imposter accounts and coordinated amplification to manufacture support or spread narratives is a recognized tactic in online influence operations. The independent nonprofit Centre for Information Resilience previously flagged the use of fake or foreign‑run accounts to amplify MAGA messaging during the 2024 election cycle.

Observers also noted the financial incentives at play: some content creators are paid for tweets that generate engagement, and payments calculated from verified premium account interactions can represent meaningful income for people in countries such as Nigeria or Bangladesh.

With many prominent accounts now tied to locations outside the U.S., users and analysts are once again raising questions about foreign interference in American politics. Critics pointed to past investigations into foreign contacts related to U.S. campaigns and warned that the platform’s design can be exploited to spread divisive content across borders.