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Rubio Shutters State Department’s Counter-Disinformation Office Amid Controversy
U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio announced Wednesday he is shutting down a State Department office tasked with countering foreign disinformation, citing concerns about censorship and wasteful spending of taxpayer money.
The Counter Foreign Information Manipulation and Interference office, previously known as the Global Engagement Center (GEC), will be disbanded. The office had already undergone reorganization in December 2024 under former President Biden’s administration after Congress did not extend its original mandate.
“This office cost American taxpayers more than $50 million per year and spent millions of dollars to actively silence and censor the voices of Americans they were supposed to be serving,” Rubio said in a statement. “This is antithetical to the very principles we should be upholding and inconceivable it was taking place in America.”
The decision highlights growing partisan divisions over the role of government in combating misinformation. The GEC had become a flashpoint in debates about free speech and government overreach, with Republicans accusing it of targeting conservative media outlets while Democrats defended its role in countering Russian and Chinese influence operations.
Before its reorganization, the GEC operated with a budget of $61 million and employed more than 120 staff members. Its supporters maintained it played a crucial role in identifying and countering foreign propaganda campaigns targeting American audiences.
In an online conversation Wednesday with former State Department official and conservative activist Mike Benz, Rubio acknowledged that mainstream media broadcasts “disinformation every day,” but argued that countering falsehoods with facts was preferable to using government authority to silence individuals.
The closure aligns with the broader Trump administration’s unprecedented push to downsize the federal government since taking office on January 20. This initiative, championed by billionaire Elon Musk, a close Trump ally, has already resulted in thousands of employee terminations and the dismantling of the U.S. Agency for International Development.
Musk previously criticized the GEC in a 2023 post on his social media platform X, calling it “the worst offender” in U.S. government censorship and media manipulation.
Democrats have responded with alarm to the office’s closure. Senator Jeanne Shaheen, the top Democrat on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, warned that dismantling counter-disinformation efforts leaves a dangerous vacuum.
“By shuttering the office and dismantling Voice of America and other outlets, Trump is completely ceding the global information space to our adversaries, who are only too happy to fill the void with anti-American propaganda,” Shaheen said. “Moscow and Beijing celebrate each time this Administration dismantles another critical foreign policy tool.”
The GEC was originally established in 2016 by executive order during President Obama’s administration. It continued operating during Trump’s first term, when it released a notable report on Russian disinformation and propaganda efforts.
However, the center faced persistent criticism from conservatives. In December 2023, Texas Republican Attorney General Ken Paxton, along with conservative media companies The Daily Wire and The Federalist, sued the State Department. They alleged the department funded technologies through GEC grants that could “render disfavored press outlets unprofitable.”
The lawsuit claimed the State Department provided funding to two organizations that received grants or contracts from the Global Engagement Center to develop technology that allegedly targeted right-leaning news outlets.
The closure of the counter-disinformation office comes amid broader tensions over free speech and government authority. While the Trump administration has accused the previous government of censoring Americans to suppress views it disapproved of, critics note that Trump has simultaneously sought to deport foreigners who participated in pro-Palestinian protests against Israel’s military operations in Gaza.
As global information warfare continues to evolve with increasingly sophisticated technologies and tactics, the debate over how democratic governments should respond to foreign disinformation campaigns while preserving free speech protections remains unresolved.
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9 Comments
I have mixed feelings about this decision. On one hand, concerns about government overreach and censorship are valid. But on the other, combating foreign influence operations is important. I hope a more balanced approach can be found.
Agreed, this is a complex issue without easy solutions. Finding the right balance between free speech and national security will require careful thought and bipartisan cooperation.
As someone concerned about the spread of misinformation, I’m disappointed to see this office being shut down. Foreign actors have proven adept at exploiting social media to sow division. I hope an alternative approach can be found.
While I understand the desire to rein in government overreach, I worry this decision could leave the US more vulnerable to foreign manipulation. Disinformation is a serious threat that requires a multi-faceted response. I hope this isn’t the end of these efforts.
Well said. Combating disinformation is a complex challenge that demands a nuanced approach, not a knee-jerk reaction. Hopefully the administration can come up with a more balanced solution.
Interesting move by the Secretary of State. Curious to hear more about the rationale behind shutting down this office, beyond the stated concerns about censorship and spending. What will the administration do to address foreign disinformation going forward?
This seems like a politically motivated move that could have serious consequences. Regardless of one’s views on the office’s activities, the threat of foreign interference in US affairs is very real. I hope this doesn’t signal a retreat from these important efforts.
Dismantling this office is a concerning development. Disinformation and foreign influence operations are real threats that require a coordinated response. I worry this decision will leave the US more vulnerable. The administration should reconsider this move.
This is a concerning move that could undermine efforts to counter foreign disinformation. While the office may have had some issues, shutting it down entirely seems short-sighted. Reliable information is crucial for a healthy democracy.