Joe Biden Affiliated With Antifa? Bogus Web Link Potentially Connected To Russia

Conservative social media was abuzz on after the website link, antifa.com, was found to briefly redirect traffic to the Joe Biden’s official campaign website. The seeming link was down Thursday, and investigations into the domain indicate potential links to Russian parties.

The phenomenon was discussed by numerous conservative pundits on Twitter and crested in exposure when Chanel Rion – a correspondent for the right-wing, Trump-supporting news network, One America News – asked President Donald Trump about it during a Wednesday press briefing.

“I wanted to highlight a kind of odd situation. In the last hour or so, if you googled ‘antifa.com,’ it would take you straight to Joe Biden’s website — his official campaign website — odd situation,” Rion said, during a briefing meant to cover COVID-19. “We don’t know who’s behind that. … Should Joe Biden, the Democrat party, Kamala Harris, should they publicly denounce the antifa as a domestic terrorist organization?”

Antifa, short for “anti-fascists,” is a loosely affiliated network of groups opposed to fascist governance. It has expressed opposition to Trump and supported numerous protests. The president has consistently targeted the group in speeches, painting it as a band of violent instigators, usually in an attempt to avoid denouncing high-profile acts of violence committed by right-wing elements.

Biden and running mate Sen. Kamala Harris are not affiliated with antifa. In fact, investigations into the domain name found it was first registered in 2013 by an anonymous owner in Russia. In November, its registration shifted to Panama. Outlets have been unable to reach the site’s owners for comment.

It is important to note owners of a domain name can redirect visitors to whichever webpage they wish. This can be done without the knowledge or permission of the site being directed to.

Reports from the U.S. intelligence community indicate Russian operatives are engaged in campaigns to denigrate Biden’s candidacy and support the reelection of Trump, much as they did in 2016.