OPINION: This article may contain commentary which reflects the author's opinion.
President Joe Biden and his administration have made an announcement that has many free speech advocates frightened, and it happened just days after Elon Musk purchased the Twitter platform in an effort to bring back free speech.
On Wednesday, Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas testified that the administration has created a Disinformation Governance Board to fight online disinformation and said that it will be led by Undersecretary for Policy Rob Silvers and principal deputy general counsel Jennifer Gaskill, Fox News reported.
“The goal is to bring the resources of the department together to address this threat,” he said to members of Congress.
“I just read a very interesting study that underscores the importance of the point that you make, the spread of mis- and disinformation in minority communities specifically, and we are focused on that in the context of our CP3 and other efforts, and I’d be pleased to share more,” he said.
During a press briefing, White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki said the administration supports the new board.
“Secretary Mayorkas said that part of its intention was to tackle misinformation in Hispanic communities especially. Can you give us an idea of what this board is going to be doing, what their authority would look like?” White House correspondent Jaqui Heinrich said.
“I really haven’t dug into this exactly. I mean, we, of course, support this effort, but let me see if I can get more specifics. We know that there has been a range of disinfo out there about a range of topics — I mean, including COVID, for example, and also elections and eligibility. But I will — I will check and see if there’s more specifics,” Psaki said.
“There’s been some criticism of the person who’s been chosen to oversee this board. She had previously called the Hunter Biden laptop a “Trump campaign product,” seeming to discredit its validity — or validity of reporting surrounding that.
“How can you assuage concerns of people who are looking at this person who’s been appointed to this position and wondering if she’s going to be able to accurately judge misinformation now that a lot of that reporting has been proven to be factual in some ways?” Heinrich argued.
“Well, I don’t have any comments on the laptop.
“But what I can tell you is that it sounds like the objective of the board is to prevent disinformation and misinformation from traveling around the country in a range of communities. I’m not sure who opposes that effort, and I don’t know who this individual is, so I have no comments on it specifically,” Psaki said.
Psaki seems very excited about Biden's new Ministry of Truth while simultaneously sounding completely clueless about everything pic.twitter.com/B9p9nRjKz1
— Benny Johnson (@bennyjohnson) April 28, 2022
The critics were quick to shred the idea of, what many called the “Ministry of Truth.”
One of the first to respond was Musk himself, in response to a tweet from Steven Crowder, when he called the news “Discomforting.”
“The government is creating a misinformation governance board. Who else did something like that? Oh I remember, the Nazi’s. And there’s some data showing some interesting things going on post-@elonmusk’s Twitter takeover!” Crowder said.
Discomforting
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) April 28, 2022
“The Administration that activated the FBI against parents at school board meetings now has created a government Disinformation Board to monitor all Americans’ speech. It’s a disgrace. Joe Biden & Secretary Mayorkas: dissolve this monstrosity immediately,” Republican Missouri Sen. Josh Hawley said.
The Administration that activated the FBI against parents at school board meetings now has created a government Disinformation Board to monitor all Americans’ speech. It’s a disgrace. Joe Biden & Secretary Mayorkas: dissolve this monstrosity immediately pic.twitter.com/hSnMpREizI
— Josh Hawley (@HawleyMO) April 28, 2022
“Adolf Hitler had a Ministry of Truth. Joseph Goebbels had a Ministry of Truth. Joseph Stalin had a Ministry of Truth. Joseph Biden has a Ministry of Truth,” Republican Congressional candidate Errol Webber said.
Adolf Hitler had a Ministry of Truth.
Joseph Goebbels had a Ministry of Truth.
Joseph Stalin had a Ministry of Truth.
Joseph Biden has a Ministry of Truth.
— Errol Webber (@ErrolWebber) April 28, 2022
“They didn’t place Biden’s Ministry of Truth under the Federal Trade Commission. They placed it Under the Department of Homeland Security. If that doesn’t chill you to the bone, you are not paying attention,” John Cardillo said.
They didn’t place Biden’s Ministry of Truth under the Federal Trade Commission.
They placed it Under the Department of Homeland Security.
If that doesn’t chill you to the bone, you are not paying attention.
— John 1776 Cardillo (@johncardillo) April 28, 2022
“Now that the Biden regime has a Ministry of Truth, what’s next? Re-education camps?” Republican Georgia Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene argued.
Now that the Biden regime has a Ministry of Truth, what’s next?
Re-education camps?
— Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (@RepMTG) April 29, 2022
“Joe Biden wants to create a ‘ministry of truth’ to govern and police your thoughts and your free speech. This goes against everything our country stands for,” Republican Tennessee Sen. Marsha Blackburn warned.
Joe Biden wants to create a ‘ministry of truth’ to govern and police your thoughts and your free speech.
This goes against everything our country stands for.
— Sen. Marsha Blackburn (@MarshaBlackburn) April 28, 2022
Every dictatorship has a propaganda arm—a “Ministry of Truth.” The Biden Administration has now formally joined the ranks of such dictatorships with their creation of the so-called “Disinformation Governance Board.” pic.twitter.com/iMnrqksaJJ
— Tulsi Gabbard 🌺 (@TulsiGabbard) April 29, 2022
“Every dictatorship has a propaganda arm—a ‘Ministry of Truth.’ The Biden Administration has now formally joined the ranks of such dictatorships with their creation of the so-called ‘Disinformation Governance Board,’” Democrat Tulsi Gabbard said.
