William Freeman 2nd Vice Chair | DeKalb County Republican Party
William Freeman 2nd Vice Chair | DeKalb County Republican Party
Secretary of State Marco Rubio has announced the shutdown of the Counter Foreign Information Manipulation and Interference office, a unit originally set up to combat foreign disinformation. In recent years, the office has faced criticism for allegedly censoring American free speech.
Rubio stated that the unit, previously known as the Global Engagement Center, had used millions of dollars to silence American voices. According to Rubio, "This is antithetical to the very principals we should be upholding and inconceivable it was taking place in America." He assured that under President Trump's administration, protecting the rights of the American people is a priority, and closing the office is a step in that direction.
The office reportedly expended more than $50 million annually. Rubio explained, "They were also taking money from this program and using it to fund these NGOs, these third party groups who were supposed to be impartial." These groups were allegedly labeling and tagging political voices, potentially stifling free expression.
In a video shared by Western Lensman, Rubio further described the situation: "American taxpayers through the State Department were paying groups to attack Americans and to try to silence the voice of Americans."
The State Department's decision to dismantle the office highlights the administration's commitment to promoting pro-American messaging. Rubio emphasized, "We are going to spend money on messaging. It’s going to be pro-American messaging."
A video featuring Rubio discussing these developments was shared on social media, illustrating the shift in government policy regarding information manipulation and censorship.
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