Marco Rubio Kills State Department Anti-Propaganda Shop, Promises ‘Twitter Files’ Sequel
Rubio, until recently, was hawkish about fighting foreign influence campaigns. In 2023, a second diplomatic source with direct knowledge said, he supported reauthorizing funding the GEC into the 2030s. “It’s not just Russia—Iran, China, North Korea, and even Cuba are pushing disinformation into America,” he posted last September. But after being confirmed as secretary of state, Rubio appeared to do something of a 180. While the department would continue to counter “enemy propaganda,” he wrote in a cable, any State Department programs that “lead or in any way open the door to censorship of the American people will be terminated.” “The secretary believes shutting down GEC was long overdue,” a State spokesperson tells WIRED. “It cost taxpayers $50 million a year, and the Biden administration used that money to silence and censor Americans. What started out years ago as an effort to counter terrorist organizations was exploited by partisan bureaucrats who used the office to go after Americans’ free speech. Even career employees acknowledged GEC’s ambiguous mission was always problematic. Thanks to Secretary Rubio, the …