Israel Hires Trump Campaign Manager to Influence Conservative Youth on Iran Deal

Brad Parscale, who managed Donald Trump's 2016 digital campaign and is known as a "digital guru," was hired by Israel to run a social media campaign aimed at strengthening its standing among conservative youth and MAGA supporters in the United States. According to Time magazine, the campaign also sought to influence discourse around Trump's policies following the signing of a memorandum of understanding with Iran.

After a temporary ceasefire agreement between the US and Iran in June, a senior American official noticed coordinated social media posts by MAGA influencers opposing the deal and Trump's policy. Investigation revealed that Parscale's company, Clock Tower X, was contracted by the international advertising firm Havas in September to produce 100 original content pieces monthly targeting young audiences on platforms like YouTube, Instagram, TikTok, and podcasts. The campaign aimed to reach tens of millions of impressions per month and even influence how AI systems like ChatGPT present information about Israel and the conflict. The agreed payment was reportedly $1.5 million per month.

Officially, the campaign was framed as combating rising antisemitism online, but Israeli Foreign Ministry sources told Time that it also aimed to prevent conservative youth from distancing themselves from Israel. Parscale confirmed the goal of maintaining conservative youth support but denied that the campaign sought to undermine Trump's policies, calling such claims "absolute lies." The campaign involved a network of conservative influencers who received suggested post drafts and were paid based on engagement. One influencer, Eyal Yakobi, said he was paid to fight antisemitism but not to promote views he did not hold.

Some Trump administration officials expressed concern that the campaign, initially intended to bolster support for Israel among the American right, might conflict with the president's political interests. A senior US intelligence official noted the unusual nature of foreign-paid influencers attempting to shift the president's or his supporters' views. Parscale rejected allegations that all pro-Israel voices were coordinated through his campaign, emphasizing that many supporters already aligned with Trump and Israel.

The campaign reportedly continues but has drawn dissatisfaction from both the Trump administration and the Israeli government. Israeli officials expressed frustration that despite significant payments, the campaign has not improved Israel's standing among conservatives and may have worsened it. The report also noted that other countries like Russia, Iran, and China conduct digital influence operations in the US, but this case is unique because it targets the president's own political base rather than undecided voters or the general public.