Dan Silverman
@dmsilverman.bsky.social
Assistant Professor of Political Science at Carnegie Mellon Institute for Strategy & Technology (CMIST)
Ohio State PhD. International Security, Political Psychology, Middle East Politics
Opinions my own, don’t reflect employer, etc.
Ohio State PhD. International Security, Political Psychology, Middle East Politics
Opinions my own, don’t reflect employer, etc.
Pinned
Dan Silverman
@dmsilverman.bsky.social
· Nov 22
🚨Publication day — my first book is out! “Seeing is Disbelieving: Why People Believe Misinformation in War, and When They Know Better” is a deep dive into factual misinformation in modern war and conflict, and why people do and don’t believe it. @cambridgeup.bsky.social
cambridge.org/9781009523585
cambridge.org/9781009523585
This may be one of the dumbest, most selfish, and most conspiracy-inflaming tweets I've ever seen from a world leader. Yeesh.
November 25, 2025 at 8:56 PM
This may be one of the dumbest, most selfish, and most conspiracy-inflaming tweets I've ever seen from a world leader. Yeesh.
Reposted by Dan Silverman
Is this cheese grater conscious? Many users feel they're talking to a real person. Scientists say it's time to consider whether they're onto something.
November 25, 2025 at 8:21 PM
Is this cheese grater conscious? Many users feel they're talking to a real person. Scientists say it's time to consider whether they're onto something.
Yes. Though what makes me torn about whether we’ll see a full Yoon is:
-Trump likely will never be prosecuted (ft. Roberts et al), thus faces no threat of going to jail after
-His underlings — Homan, Noem, Miller, Pulte, etc — do
-Trump probably doesn’t give a shit about his underlings
-Trump likely will never be prosecuted (ft. Roberts et al), thus faces no threat of going to jail after
-His underlings — Homan, Noem, Miller, Pulte, etc — do
-Trump probably doesn’t give a shit about his underlings
2027-8 is probably going to be the moment where we see a Yoon moment, especially if Dems retake the House and/or Senate based on how insane they're acting about a basic "do not commit war crimes" video
November 25, 2025 at 4:10 PM
Yes. Though what makes me torn about whether we’ll see a full Yoon is:
-Trump likely will never be prosecuted (ft. Roberts et al), thus faces no threat of going to jail after
-His underlings — Homan, Noem, Miller, Pulte, etc — do
-Trump probably doesn’t give a shit about his underlings
-Trump likely will never be prosecuted (ft. Roberts et al), thus faces no threat of going to jail after
-His underlings — Homan, Noem, Miller, Pulte, etc — do
-Trump probably doesn’t give a shit about his underlings
And predictably this is getting some flak on here
Obviously MBS is a brutal dictator and should be seen as such. My point was that brutal dictators can have *some* measure of complexity to their impacts and legacies
Ask yourself: what is the legacy of Deng Xiaoping?
Obviously MBS is a brutal dictator and should be seen as such. My point was that brutal dictators can have *some* measure of complexity to their impacts and legacies
Ask yourself: what is the legacy of Deng Xiaoping?
People on this website won’t like to hear it but:
MBS is of course kind of a monster (like most personalist dictators) but his impact on his country and the region are complex and not entirely pernicious
MBS is of course kind of a monster (like most personalist dictators) but his impact on his country and the region are complex and not entirely pernicious
begins here, over this article: www.semafor.com/article/11/2...
November 25, 2025 at 3:12 AM
And predictably this is getting some flak on here
Obviously MBS is a brutal dictator and should be seen as such. My point was that brutal dictators can have *some* measure of complexity to their impacts and legacies
Ask yourself: what is the legacy of Deng Xiaoping?
Obviously MBS is a brutal dictator and should be seen as such. My point was that brutal dictators can have *some* measure of complexity to their impacts and legacies
Ask yourself: what is the legacy of Deng Xiaoping?
People on this website won’t like to hear it but:
MBS is of course kind of a monster (like most personalist dictators) but his impact on his country and the region are complex and not entirely pernicious
MBS is of course kind of a monster (like most personalist dictators) but his impact on his country and the region are complex and not entirely pernicious
begins here, over this article: www.semafor.com/article/11/2...
November 25, 2025 at 2:13 AM
People on this website won’t like to hear it but:
MBS is of course kind of a monster (like most personalist dictators) but his impact on his country and the region are complex and not entirely pernicious
MBS is of course kind of a monster (like most personalist dictators) but his impact on his country and the region are complex and not entirely pernicious
Reposted by Dan Silverman
As a survivor of the Tulsa Race Massacre, Viola Ford Fletcher bravely shared her story so that we’d never forget this painful part of our history. Michelle and I are grateful for her lifelong work to advance civil rights, and send our love to her family.
Viola Fletcher, Oldest Survivor of the Tulsa Race Massacre, Dies at 111
www.nytimes.com
November 25, 2025 at 12:45 AM
As a survivor of the Tulsa Race Massacre, Viola Ford Fletcher bravely shared her story so that we’d never forget this painful part of our history. Michelle and I are grateful for her lifelong work to advance civil rights, and send our love to her family.
Holy shit. An assistant professor at a major American university on his way to MESA
November 24, 2025 at 11:12 PM
Holy shit. An assistant professor at a major American university on his way to MESA
Wrong. Ignorant and wrong
November 24, 2025 at 10:39 PM
Wrong. Ignorant and wrong
Reposted by Dan Silverman
"what if 2003, but for the *actual* reasons conspiracy theorists thought we went in 2003 for?"
Rep. Salazar on Venezuela: "We're about to go in ... we need to go in ... Venezuela for the American oil companies will be a field day"
November 24, 2025 at 9:36 PM
"what if 2003, but for the *actual* reasons conspiracy theorists thought we went in 2003 for?"
Step 1) Draft pro-Kremlin “peace plan.”
Step 2) Get American useful idiots to sell it as U.S. proposal.
Step 3) Announce that your own plan is “largely acceptable," demanding more while appearing to be the agreeable side
Step 2) Get American useful idiots to sell it as U.S. proposal.
Step 3) Announce that your own plan is “largely acceptable," demanding more while appearing to be the agreeable side
November 24, 2025 at 9:06 PM
Step 1) Draft pro-Kremlin “peace plan.”
Step 2) Get American useful idiots to sell it as U.S. proposal.
Step 3) Announce that your own plan is “largely acceptable," demanding more while appearing to be the agreeable side
Step 2) Get American useful idiots to sell it as U.S. proposal.
Step 3) Announce that your own plan is “largely acceptable," demanding more while appearing to be the agreeable side
I'd love to see some of these Republican targets, or Democratic ones, just say something like:
"Trump's act is wearing thin. It's boring. The same old yapping and nicknames. Meanwhile he's building a ballroom and selling us out to Argentina."
"Trump's act is wearing thin. It's boring. The same old yapping and nicknames. Meanwhile he's building a ballroom and selling us out to Argentina."
Trump on Rand Paul: “He's a nasty liddle' guy”
Trump on Thomas Massie: “a sick Wacko”
Trump on Thomas Massie: “a sick Wacko”
November 24, 2025 at 6:23 PM
I'd love to see some of these Republican targets, or Democratic ones, just say something like:
"Trump's act is wearing thin. It's boring. The same old yapping and nicknames. Meanwhile he's building a ballroom and selling us out to Argentina."
"Trump's act is wearing thin. It's boring. The same old yapping and nicknames. Meanwhile he's building a ballroom and selling us out to Argentina."
Reposted by Dan Silverman
I wrote about the fake account blowup on X this weekend. A genuine post-truth nightmare and proof that these companies have polluted their platforms so thoroughly and traded reality for profit that they've undermined the very idea of what the internet is supposed to be.
That MAGA Account Might Be a Troll From Pakistan
How X blew up its own platform with a new location feature
www.theatlantic.com
November 24, 2025 at 4:33 PM
I wrote about the fake account blowup on X this weekend. A genuine post-truth nightmare and proof that these companies have polluted their platforms so thoroughly and traded reality for profit that they've undermined the very idea of what the internet is supposed to be.
Yes, Dems hate America Noah — that’s why they had an unprecedented 7-million-person peaceful nationwide protest of people waving American flags and trying to save our form of government 🙄
November 24, 2025 at 4:08 PM
Yes, Dems hate America Noah — that’s why they had an unprecedented 7-million-person peaceful nationwide protest of people waving American flags and trying to save our form of government 🙄
Reposted by Dan Silverman
As we all wait for Callais to come down, our piece showing that Shelby County increased the racial turnout gap in most of the covered parts of the country has cleared the replication check and is incoming at JOP.
Gutting the VRA was bad, actually.
Gutting the VRA was bad, actually.
November 24, 2025 at 12:47 AM
As we all wait for Callais to come down, our piece showing that Shelby County increased the racial turnout gap in most of the covered parts of the country has cleared the replication check and is incoming at JOP.
Gutting the VRA was bad, actually.
Gutting the VRA was bad, actually.
Being an Eagles fan, pretty regularly
a police officer is smoking a cigarette and talking to another officer .
ALT: a police officer is smoking a cigarette and talking to another officer .
media.tenor.com
November 24, 2025 at 12:26 AM
Being an Eagles fan, pretty regularly
Reposted by Dan Silverman
UPDATE: Americans who use
YouTube 84%
Facebook 71%
Instagram 50%
TikTok 37%
WhatsApp 32%
Reddit 26%
Snapchat 25%
X (Twitter) 21%
Threads 8%
Bluesky 4%
Truth Social 3%
Full Pew Research Center report: https://www.pewresearch.org/internet/2025/11/20/americans-social-media-use-2025/
YouTube 84%
Facebook 71%
Instagram 50%
TikTok 37%
WhatsApp 32%
Reddit 26%
Snapchat 25%
X (Twitter) 21%
Threads 8%
Bluesky 4%
Truth Social 3%
Full Pew Research Center report: https://www.pewresearch.org/internet/2025/11/20/americans-social-media-use-2025/
November 23, 2025 at 9:55 PM
UPDATE: Americans who use
YouTube 84%
Facebook 71%
Instagram 50%
TikTok 37%
WhatsApp 32%
Reddit 26%
Snapchat 25%
X (Twitter) 21%
Threads 8%
Bluesky 4%
Truth Social 3%
Full Pew Research Center report: https://www.pewresearch.org/internet/2025/11/20/americans-social-media-use-2025/
YouTube 84%
Facebook 71%
Instagram 50%
TikTok 37%
WhatsApp 32%
Reddit 26%
Snapchat 25%
X (Twitter) 21%
Threads 8%
Bluesky 4%
Truth Social 3%
Full Pew Research Center report: https://www.pewresearch.org/internet/2025/11/20/americans-social-media-use-2025/
Ukraine is going to go full MENA coup-proofed security state and have like 4 Basij paramilitaries that don’t count on top of its 800k army
The alleged European counterproposal says the Ukrainian army will be “capped at 800,000 in peacetime.”
If true, it’s an astonishing reversal from yesterday’s statement signed by leaders at the G20 that warned limitations “would leave Ukraine vulnerable to a future attack.”
If true, it’s an astonishing reversal from yesterday’s statement signed by leaders at the G20 that warned limitations “would leave Ukraine vulnerable to a future attack.”
November 23, 2025 at 8:02 PM
Ukraine is going to go full MENA coup-proofed security state and have like 4 Basij paramilitaries that don’t count on top of its 800k army
Has anyone thrown together a spreadsheet yet of all the fake accounts exposed by this policy change with the actual country they’re based in and # of followers?
That would be really useful
That would be really useful
X rolled out a new feature overnight showing where accounts are based. This network of “Trump-supporting independent women” that claimed to be “real Americans” are based in Thailand.
The photos were stolen from European models & posts pushed pro-Trump lines while targeting Islam and LGBTQ people.
The photos were stolen from European models & posts pushed pro-Trump lines while targeting Islam and LGBTQ people.
November 23, 2025 at 7:53 PM
Has anyone thrown together a spreadsheet yet of all the fake accounts exposed by this policy change with the actual country they’re based in and # of followers?
That would be really useful
That would be really useful
Reposted by Dan Silverman
thinking about how my parents escaped vietnam, where the CIA destabilized my family's home country by spreading misinformation, and they landed in the united states, which is now getting destabilized bc someone in vietnam is spreading misinformation
Twitter pays people based on engagement (views, retweets, comments, etc). It appears that many MAGA accounts are based abroad and they use AI technology to generate low-effort rage bait.
My guess is that this will get worse as AI tech improves. For instance, fake videos of minorities doing crime.
My guess is that this will get worse as AI tech improves. For instance, fake videos of minorities doing crime.
November 23, 2025 at 5:59 PM
thinking about how my parents escaped vietnam, where the CIA destabilized my family's home country by spreading misinformation, and they landed in the united states, which is now getting destabilized bc someone in vietnam is spreading misinformation
I hope folks grasp the enormity of this change on X, with one's country now being visible
Thoughts:
1) Broken as X is, this is a serious social good. The ability to misrepresent where you are online is key to troll farms, influence ops, and the pollution of our info environment. Now masks are off
Thoughts:
1) Broken as X is, this is a serious social good. The ability to misrepresent where you are online is key to troll farms, influence ops, and the pollution of our info environment. Now masks are off
November 23, 2025 at 4:34 AM
I hope folks grasp the enormity of this change on X, with one's country now being visible
Thoughts:
1) Broken as X is, this is a serious social good. The ability to misrepresent where you are online is key to troll farms, influence ops, and the pollution of our info environment. Now masks are off
Thoughts:
1) Broken as X is, this is a serious social good. The ability to misrepresent where you are online is key to troll farms, influence ops, and the pollution of our info environment. Now masks are off
Seems like Rubio may have gotten a call from DC?
And interestingly, even here he still doesn't fully echo the company line. He says the proposal is a "strong framework for ongoing negotiations"
He's clearly NOT comfortable presenting it as an ultimatum Ukraine had to sign by Thanksgiving
And interestingly, even here he still doesn't fully echo the company line. He says the proposal is a "strong framework for ongoing negotiations"
He's clearly NOT comfortable presenting it as an ultimatum Ukraine had to sign by Thanksgiving
Aaaand Rubio has flip-flopped as to authorship. Glorious.
November 23, 2025 at 3:19 AM
Seems like Rubio may have gotten a call from DC?
And interestingly, even here he still doesn't fully echo the company line. He says the proposal is a "strong framework for ongoing negotiations"
He's clearly NOT comfortable presenting it as an ultimatum Ukraine had to sign by Thanksgiving
And interestingly, even here he still doesn't fully echo the company line. He says the proposal is a "strong framework for ongoing negotiations"
He's clearly NOT comfortable presenting it as an ultimatum Ukraine had to sign by Thanksgiving
I always kinda thought this was the internet reading too much into a still image, but I guess it was real
November 23, 2025 at 1:56 AM
I always kinda thought this was the internet reading too much into a still image, but I guess it was real
I‘m starting to think there may be some competence issues in the U.S. government
November 23, 2025 at 1:47 AM
I‘m starting to think there may be some competence issues in the U.S. government
Wow.
So the Trump admin just laundered a Kremlin document — straight from the Russians — as a U.S. peace plan and demanded Ukraine accept it or get cut off/abandoned?
Wow
So the Trump admin just laundered a Kremlin document — straight from the Russians — as a U.S. peace plan and demanded Ukraine accept it or get cut off/abandoned?
Wow
🚨 BREAKING News: Are you sitting down?
Essentially, the 28-point peace plan presented to Ukraine was written/created entirely by Russia!!!
Trump was threatening Ukraine to sign it before Thanksgiving and Karoline Leavitt/Trump touted the peace plan as the U.S. proposal.
Impeach Trump now!
Essentially, the 28-point peace plan presented to Ukraine was written/created entirely by Russia!!!
Trump was threatening Ukraine to sign it before Thanksgiving and Karoline Leavitt/Trump touted the peace plan as the U.S. proposal.
Impeach Trump now!
November 23, 2025 at 1:06 AM
Wow.
So the Trump admin just laundered a Kremlin document — straight from the Russians — as a U.S. peace plan and demanded Ukraine accept it or get cut off/abandoned?
Wow
So the Trump admin just laundered a Kremlin document — straight from the Russians — as a U.S. peace plan and demanded Ukraine accept it or get cut off/abandoned?
Wow
Reposted by Dan Silverman
And then she starts posting Russian propaganda every single day. What a coincidence.
November 22, 2025 at 9:00 PM
And then she starts posting Russian propaganda every single day. What a coincidence.