Rubio says obscure office under Biden kept censorship dossier on Trump official

Secretary of State Marco Rubio made a shocking revelation during a recent Cabinet meeting, exposing the Biden administration’s State Department for keeping dossiers on Americans accused of spreading disinformation. Rubio disclosed that the State Department had a dedicated office tasked with monitoring social media posts and commentary to identify individuals as “vectors of disinformation.”

During the meeting, Rubio refrained from naming the specific Trump administration official who had a dossier created on them. However, the disclosure raised concerns about the government’s intrusion into the freedom of speech and transparency. Vice President JD Vance lightened the tension by jokingly asking if he or Elon Musk were the subjects of the dossiers, prompting laughter among the Cabinet members.

Rubio emphasized that combating disinformation should not involve censoring Americans’ speech. He announced the closure of the Global Engagement Center, the office responsible for monitoring and censoring social media content, which he had officially shut down earlier in April. This move was part of a broader reorganization of the State Department to eliminate unnecessary and invasive practices.

The Global Engagement Center, originally established by former President Barack Obama in 2016, was intended to coordinate counterterrorism messaging to foreign nations. However, it had evolved into a tool for censoring speech that the government disagreed with. Critics, including journalist Matt Taibbi, had accused the center of blacklisting individuals based on their views, particularly during the pandemic.

Elon Musk, who had previously criticized the Global Engagement Center for its censorship practices, echoed Rubio’s concerns about government overreach. Musk had called the agency the “worst offender in US government censorship & media manipulation,” highlighting the threat it posed to democracy.

The Biden administration’s decision to maintain and rebrand the office as the Counter Foreign Information Manipulation and Interference Hub raised further suspicions about its intentions. Lawmakers had not allocated new funding for the office, leading to its scheduled termination in 2024. However, the administration repurposed the office in its final days, prompting Rubio to take action and close it down.

In a statement announcing the office’s closure, Rubio condemned the previous administration’s use of taxpayer funds to silence and censor Americans. He emphasized that such practices were contrary to the principles of freedom of speech and democracy. The move to shut down the office signaled a commitment to upholding these fundamental values and protecting Americans’ rights.

As the government continues to grapple with the challenge of disinformation, Rubio’s actions underscore the importance of safeguarding individual liberties and promoting open dialogue. By dismantling intrusive and censorious practices within the State Department, Rubio’s administration is taking a stand for transparency and accountability.