Russian social media agitators who pushed pro-gun messages in the United States sometimes copied the language of the National Rifle Association. And sometimes, the NRA copied them.
What isn't clear is whether there was any relationship between the social media users or whether the duplication was done without the other's awareness, part of the broader tide of advocacy about gun rights.
The NRA did not respond to a request for comment for this story.
What is clear is that, at times, the Russians followed so closely behind the American gun rights group that it duplicated its content word for word.
The Internet Research Agency pushed pro-gun messages using an account called Defend.The.Second on Instagram. Facebook, which owns Instagram, confirmed to NPR that the account was connected to the troll farm.
In one instance, the Internet Research Agency[1] copied the description of Democratic National Committee deputy chairman Keith Ellison, originally made by the NRA's Institute for Legislative Action[2].
In another case, the Internet Research Agency created a graphic, complete with the NRA logo, that copied the NRA-ILA's promotion[3] of a story titled 'NRA Scores Two Victories Against California Gun Control Laws.'
And both the NRA[4] and the IRA[5] posted the same story about a homeowner shooting a suspected burglar in Louisiana.
The Saint Petersburg-based Internet Research Agency also posted an image[6] celebrating NRA President Wayne LaPierre's visit to the White House in February 2017.
In another case, the Russian social media account directed its followers to an NRA Institute for Legislative Action alert[7].
"Guys, your assistance would be just in time! California libcucks are tightening gun laws again. And you
