In an interview on CNNโs State of The Union, anchor Dana Bash asked DHS Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas about the formation of the Disinformation Governance Board in his department.
Bash noted that the board is already facing heavy criticism.
โRepublicans are calling it โOrwellianโ and comparing it to the Ministry of Truth in the novel 1984,โ Bash said. โCan you clarify what exactly is this? What exactly will this disinformation governance board do? Will it monitor American citizens?โ
Mayorkas said that the government โprobably could have done a better job of communicatingโ the purpose of the board, insisting that foreign disinformation threatens homeland security.
Bash then asked if Americans will be monitored. Mayorkas said โnoโ but deflected when he was asked if it was a guarantee.
Asked about the criticism surrounding the boardโs leader Nina Jankowicz, Mayorkas said she was โeminently qualifiedโ for the role.
Bash then asked: โWould you be okay if Donald Trump were president, if he created this disinformation governance board? Or – if it is in place and he wins again in 2024 – that heโs in charge of such a thing?โ
Mayorkas did not give a direct answer. Instead he said: โI believe that this working group, that gathers together best practices, makes sure that our work is coordinated, consistent with those best practices, that weโre safeguarding the right of free speech, that weโre safeguarding civil liberties, I think, is an extraordinary important endeavor.โ
He told Bash that the board will work โto ensure that the way in which we address threats, the connectivity between threats and acts of violence are addressed without infringing on free speech โ protecting civil rights and civil liberties, the right of privacy.โ
In an appearance on NBCโs โMeet the Press,โ Mayorkas said that the board will fight disinformation โin a way that does not infringe on free speech, does not infringe on civil liberties.โ
Former Democrat Rep. Tulsi Gabbard said the board was similar to the โMinistry of Truthโ in the novel โ1984โ by George Orwell. Arkansas Republican Sen. Tom Cotton aired similar remarks, describing the board as an โOrwellian scheme.โ