After US Capitol riot, a call to protect veterans from disinformation

Pro-Trump protesters clashing with US Capitol police on Jan 6, 2021. To Goldsmith, an Army veteran who fought in Iraq before he began tracking online disinformation campaigns targeting veterans, Babbitt’s death is a clarion call for educating a vulnerable population about the dangers they face online before further tragedies occur. — Reuters

WASHINGTON: A prominent US veterans advocate wants the Biden administration and Congress to help retired service members protect themselves from online disinformation following the deadly Jan 6 riot at the Capitol.

Two veterans – one rioter and one police officer – died as a result of the failed attempt to block certification of the 2020 presidential election results after then President Donald Trump claimed they were fraudulent. Numerous other retired service members have been charged with crimes in the riot’s aftermath.