[tibbydudeza]

The term "useful idiot" refers to Lenin - basically it is folks who might not be for the communist cause but are propaganda tools and usually ignorant they are being used.

[DiogenesKynikos]

The term "useful idiot" was invented by conservatives in the West during the Cold War, as a slur against social democrats.

Lenin never used it. It didn't even exist during his lifetime.

[dash2]

It was a slur against collaborators with communism, not against social democrats: https://quoteinvestigator.com/2019/08/22/useful-idiot/

[DiogenesKynikos]

The slur was originally directed against social democrats by conservatives who accused them of helping communism.

Later, the term became a much more general slur used by conservatives against anyone who wasn't sufficiently "tough" against the USSR.