X Reveals Foreign Bases of U.S. Politics Accounts

Elon Musk's social media platform X rolled out a new feature last week that displays the geographic base of user accounts, revealing that numerous high-engagement profiles commenting on U.S. politics and global conflicts are operated from overseas locations rather than the United States as they often claim.

The update, which shows an account's base country or region alongside its join date and other details, quickly drew attention from users who began scrutinizing prominent profiles. Many accounts with patriotic American branding, such as those promoting pro-Trump messages or criticizing U.S. foreign policy, were found to originate from places including Nigeria, Thailand, Bangladesh, Eastern Europe, Pakistan, Malaysia, Indonesia, and the Philippines. For instance, the account ULTRAMAGA TRUMP2028, which described itself as based in Washington, D.C., was listed as operating from Africa. Another profile, American, featuring an eagle over a U.S. flag, appeared to be based in South Asia. Similarly, accounts focused on anti-Israel narratives, like Times of Gaza with nearly a million followers claiming a location in Palestine, were traced to East Asia, while Mohammad Smiry, portraying...