Former Democratic presidential candidate Tulsi Gabbard called out both political parties in a Monday tweet over their silence on the Department of Homeland Security’s (DHS) Disinformation Governance Board.
“To all the Democrats out there who say over and over again about how you stand strong against dictatorships, I’m wondering where your voice is now, condemning this creation of a Ministry of Truth in our own Department of Homeland Security,” she said. “Even worse, the Republicans who are out there saying ‘hey, we need this propaganda board, as long as it’s not headed by somebody who’s biased, as long as it’s not Jankowicz.'”
“All of you need to read the Bill of Rights again and be reminded about what our freedom of speech really means and how important it is to us all.”
Democrats who say you’re against dictatorships, where are your voices condemning the Ministry of Truth? Even worse are Republicans who say such a propaganda board is needed but it should be headed by someone who’s not biased—not Jankowicz. They all need to read the Bill of Rights pic.twitter.com/rDZhFf40VK
— Tulsi Gabbard 🌺 (@TulsiGabbard) May 2, 2022
The DHS announced Wednesday the development of the board to counter what it considers misinformation and disinformation, particularly that coming from Russia or related to the U.S.-Mexico border. President Joe Biden’s administration appointed Wilson Center global fellow Nina Jancowicz to lead the board, resulting pushback from many conservatives over her history of attempting to cast doubts on reports on Hunter Biden’s laptop and claiming in 2017 that Republicans funded the Steele dossier. (RELATED: ‘Discomforting’: Elon Musk Reacting To The DHS’ New Disinformation Governance Board)
DHS Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas told Fox News’ Bret Baier on Sunday that the board is in place to address disinformation that threatens national security and vowed it will not infringe on free speech. Mayorkas said the board will combat disinformation from Russia, China and Iran, as well as disinformation such as cartels falsely telling Haitian migrants that Title 42, a Trump-era COVID policy, does not apply to them.
“We address disinformation that presents a security threat to the homeland,” he said. “Disinformation from Russia, from China, from Iran, from the cartels. The cartels spread misinformation that Title 42 does not apply to the Haitians, and that prompts, potentially, Haitians to try to come to the United States, and what do we do?”
“This is a working group that takes best practices to make sure that in addressing disinformation that presents a threat to the homeland, our work does not infringe on free speech, does not infringe on civil rights, civil liberties. It’s not about speech, it’s about the connectivity to violence.”
He also said he does not question Jankowicz’s objectivity, calling her a “tremendous authority.”
CNN’s Dana Bash asked Mayorkas during Sunday’s “State of the Union” if he would support the board if was founded by former President Donald Trump. The secretary said it is “safeguarding the right to free speech” and other liberties guaranteed to Americans.