Confirmation bias is evident in a disinformation campaign targeting USAID, where Trump associates spread false claims that the agency paid Hollywood stars to visit Ukraine. A viral video falsely attributes payments to celebrities like Angelina Jolie and Ben Stiller to boost President Zelensky’s image. Investigations reveal the video’s lack of authenticity, with E!News denying its validity. This misinformation, linked to Russian propaganda tactics, gained traction through influential figures like Elon Musk, amplifying its reach despite its fabricated origins.
What we are witnessing is a classic case of confirmation bias in action. In an aggressive campaign aimed at discrediting the American agency for international development (USAID), those close to Trump are resorting to disinformation tactics, even if it means relying on Russian sources. On February 5, the son of the billionaire and Elon Musk, who has been appointed to lead a new government efficiency initiative in the U.S., shared a video that quickly gained immense traction.
This video, which garnered millions of views in under 24 hours, alleges that USAID has been compensating Hollywood stars to visit Ukraine. The purported aim? To appear alongside President Volodymyr Zelensky and boost his popularity.
Accompanied by the E!News logo, the video features a woman claiming that USAID financed trips to Ukraine post-Russian invasion, mentioning celebrities like Angelina Jolie, Sean Penn, and Ben Stiller as recipients of payments between 5 and 20 million dollars. She asserts that this was done to enhance Zelensky’s appeal to foreign audiences, particularly in the U.S., and to facilitate funding programs for Ukraine amid the conflict.
Uncovering the Layers of Deception
Upon closer inspection, this video appears to be entirely fabricated. There is no evidence supporting these claims on the E!News website or their social media platforms. A representative for E!News confirmed to American journalists that the content is “not authentic and does not originate from E!News.” While it is true that several personalities visited Ukraine early in the conflict, most did so as representatives of the United Nations, not the U.S.
The UN’s guidelines for “messengers of peace” are explicit; they do not receive payment. Goodwill ambassadors may earn a nominal salary of one dollar per year or equivalent, but can only claim travel and daily allowances while on official UN business. Ben Stiller has publicly verified this on his social media, stating that he “fully funded” his humanitarian trip to Ukraine and that there was no financial involvement from USAID, calling the rumors “lies” propagated by Russian media.
This video bears all the hallmarks of a Russian interference campaign. Emerging at the onset of the Ukrainian invasion, this tactic involves creating “digital doppelgangers” of reputable media outlets. By misappropriating the identities and branding of established news organizations, these fabricated articles, videos, and images aim to undermine Ukraine’s credibility. The content is then disseminated across popular platforms, particularly X, to sway public opinion through a network of coordinated accounts.
Tracing the origins of this particular video reveals that it first surfaced in Russian across multiple Telegram channels. These channels were responsible for spreading this misinformation as early as Wednesday morning. Within three hours, the false claims infiltrated numerous Telegram networks, including French channels identified as part of a structured Russian propaganda operation. The content later appeared on pro-Putin platforms such as Tsargrad TV and accounts linked to Kremlin propagandist Vladimir Soloviev, showcasing the systematic nature of the ‘Matriochka’ campaign.
Although this operation is formidable, it often fails to achieve its intended impact. This particular instance, however, marked an unprecedented level of success. Prior to this, the last notable “doppelganger” incident took place on August 27, when it was revealed that the same network falsely claimed France’s arrest of Telegram’s founder, Pavel Durov, resulted in the suspension of an 80 Rafale aircraft purchase by the United Arab Emirates.
Since that time, numerous endeavors by this active network had largely gone unnoticed. According to reports, the Antibot4Navalny collective pointed out that between Monday and Wednesday, at least ten other pieces of false information about USAID were circulated by ‘Matriochka’. These videos imitated the visual style of reputable outlets like EuroNews and FoxNews, but failed to gain traction.
However, the involvement of powerful figures in the U.S. significantly amplified the spread of misinformation regarding Hollywood personalities. Initially kept under wraps, the claims were propelled by influential accounts like Elon Musk and Donald Trump’s son, who collectively boast 230 million followers on X. The Antibot4Navalny collective, which specializes in tracking bot networks, confirmed that this was the first instance of such content being shared by a prominent social media figure, as Musk had not removed his post at the time of reporting.
If you have questions or wish to report potentially unreliable information, feel free to contact us at [email protected]. You can also find us on X, where our team is active under the handle @verif_TF1LCI.