Documents leaked by Trump official to bolster a conspiracy show ‘absolutely nothing’
Inside the US state department, critics are still attacking a shuttered office established to counter foreign propaganda. Now, some of its work is also being resumed
TL;DR
- Leaked government files, intended to prove the Global Engagement Center (GEC) was used for domestic censorship, have been called a "symptom of a protracted and bitter political fight" by former officials.
- Former GEC officials Daniel Kimmage and Carrie Goux assert that the leaked documents do not show the office, whose mandate was foreign-facing, ever targeted Americans.
- The GEC, created to fight foreign propaganda, particularly from Russia, China, and Iran, was defunded in 2024 and disbanded after Donald Trump's return to office in 2025.
- Critics, including Republicans, have long alleged the GEC was used to suppress conservative speech, a claim former officials deny, stating the office focused exclusively on foreign actors.
- The State Department is resuming some of the GEC's work, including plans for an $11 million campaign to pay social media influencers in Southeast Asia to counter Chinese propaganda.