Main narratives:
- Trump will not defend the Baltic states;
- Trump won the battle against global conspiracy;
- Trump will stop bad liberal policies.
Overview:
Trump’s victory in the US presidential election drew attention from both Kremlin-aligned disinformation channels and local Latvian conspiracy theorists. Pro-Kremlin sources suggested that Trump’s presidency would lead to the US abandoning its military support for Latvia in a conflict, amplifying existing fears and anxieties among some Latvians. They also falsely claimed that Trump had already reversed “bad liberal policies,” such as “men’s participation in women’s sports” and “parents changing their children’s gender”—even though he had not yet taken office.
Latvian conspiracy theorists, meanwhile, portrayed Trump as a champion against “globalists” and expressed hope that his win would support their own fight against “globalists” in Latvia. They also argued that independent media and experts were unreliable, citing their failure to predict Trump’s victory as evidence.
In summary, both Kremlin propaganda and local Latvian conspiracy theorists leveraged Trump’s election to spread misleading narratives and sow division, capitalizing on pre-existing fears and uncertainties.
