Sunday night the top trending topic on social media was #SchumerShutdown. However, a national security group the Alliance for Securing Democracy, an organization led by national security officials from both political parties housed at The German Marshall Fund of the United States, reported that the topic was the top trending hashtag that is promoted by Russian bots.
The group tracks activity by about 600 Twitter accounts that are tied to Russian influence projects, The Hill reported. The hashtag is part of a social media war that is blaming the Senate Minority Leader Charles Schumer for the shutdown of the government.
According to The Hill, different hashtag #ReleaseTheMemo, is calling for the release of a memo that some Republicans say proves bias in special counsel Robert Mueller’s probe into Russia’s election interference, was the second-highest trending hashtag at the time.
The hashtag #ReleaseTheMemo has also been linked to Russian bots by the Alliance for Securing Democracy.
Both the Democrats and Republicans are using social media to blame each other for the shutdown that is ongoing for three days already after no funding bill passed the Senate floor on Friday.
Now for the first time this year, the Republicans need some Democratic votes. The continuing resolution passed by Republicans in the House on Thursday night, and before the Senate on Friday, would authorize enough funding to keep the government running for another month—in theory, at least, buying some time for a longer-term deal on the budget. For the same measure to pass in the Senate requires at least nine Democratic votes.
Democrats have asked for two concessions in exchange for their support: an extension of funding for the Children’s Health Insurance Program and legislation that would permanently protect the Dreamers, undocumented Americans brought to this country as children, whose temporary protections Trump had ended earlier this fall.
Meanwhile, on Twitter, the top trending topic worldwide is #TrumpShutdown.
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