The Department of Justice recently unsealed an indictment accusing conservative YouTuber Lauren Chen of connecting American influencers with Russian state media operation RT to produce propaganda, resulting in a nearly $10 million covert campaign. Chen, co-owner of Tenet Media, allegedly recruited famous conservative influencers for Russia’s propaganda operation, including Dave Rubin, Tim Pool, Benny Johnson, and Lauren Southern. Chen’s background includes posting anti-immigration, anti-LGBTQ, and anti-diversity content under the moniker Roaming Millennial. She bridged far-right and mainstream conservative voices, acting as a conduit between them. Her connections and online presence made her an ideal recruiter for the covert propaganda campaign. Despite not being charged with a crime, Chen has faced consequences, such as being fired by TheBlaze and having her YouTube channels terminated. The indictment suggests that Chen was aware of the funding source for Tenet Media and was compensated for her connections rather than her commentary. Her alignment with extremist voices on issues like Ukraine and Israel cost her support from mainstream conservatives. Despite her past success and contributions to platforms like CRTV and TheBlaze, Chen’s involvement in the Russian propaganda campaign has had lasting repercussions on her career and online presence.
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The transformation of Lauren Chen from ‘alt-lite’ YouTuber to suspected Russian asset
