The role of disinformation in electoral campaigns: analysis of the US presidential elections in 2016 and 2024

The article is devoted to the study of the influence of disinformation on modern electoral processes in the United States. The article analyzes both a more general concept – disinformation, and its various forms – fake news, deepfakes. The purpose of the study is to examine the role of disinformation, its methods and the consequences of its use, in particular, during the presidential campaign of Donald Trump in the US elections in 2016 and 2024. The relevance of the work is due to the growing influence of information technology on electoral processes, as well as the evolution of forms of disinformation that pose a threat to democratic institutions. The article uses a sociological approach that includes secondary data analysis. The work is based on the analysis of open statistical data, survey results, and media materials. The results showed that disinformation played a role in the US presidential elections in 2016 and 2024 and acquired new forms and mechanisms of application, as well as helped Donald Trump win the election. The author’s conclusions indicate the importance of disinformation mechanisms in the modern political process, especially during electoral campaigns.

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