Marco Rubio is making waves in Washington, D.C. with his first major move as Secretary of State.
And it has Democrats furious.
And Marco Rubio just obliterated this Biden censorship operation that targeted Americans.
State Department dismantles controversial censorship office
Secretary of State Marco Rubio announced the permanent closure of the State Department’s Counter Foreign Information Manipulation and Interference office (R-FIMI), formerly known as the Global Engagement Center (GEC).
The bombshell announcement came on April 16 as Rubio notified Congress that all 30 full-time staff at R-FIMI had been placed on leave and all 50 full-time staff positions would be eliminated.
“Over the last decade, Americans have been slandered, fired, charged, and even jailed for simply voicing their opinions,” Rubio stated on X. “That ends today.”
The move terminates the office’s $65 million in funding and permanently ends an operation many conservatives viewed as a government censorship machine.
“I am announcing the closure of the @StateDept’s Counter Foreign Information Manipulation and Interference, formerly the Global Engagement Center (GEC), which cost taxpayers more than $50 million per year and actively silenced and censored the voices of Americans they were supposed to be serving,” Rubio added.
Over the last decade, Americans have been slandered, fired, charged, and even jailed for simply voicing their opinions.
That ends today.
I am announcing the closure of the @StateDept‘s Counter Foreign Information Manipulation and Interference, formerly the Global Engagement… https://t.co/ucdBPmPJC1
— Secretary Marco Rubio (@SecRubio) April 16, 2025
Trump administration fulfills promise to dismantle “ministry of truth”
This decisive action follows through on the Trump administration’s commitment to dismantle what many critics called the “deep state” censorship apparatus.
Mike Benz, a digital freedom advocate who has extensively documented the GEC’s controversial history, explained that this wasn’t a mere reshuffling of bureaucracy but a complete dismantling of the operation.
“This historic development today was made possible by @SecRubio and Acting Under Secretary for Public Diplomacy @DarrenJBeattie, as part of a complete restructuring of the State Department’s activities and capacities to prevent the abuses and weaponization of the past,” Benz wrote on X.
This historic development today was made possible by @SecRubio and Acting Under Secretary for Public Diplomacy @DarrenJBeattie, as part of a complete restructuring of the State Department’s activities and capacities to prevent the abuses and weaponization of the past.
— Mike Benz (@MikeBenzCyber) April 16, 2025
The State Department initiated what’s known as a RIF (Reduction In Force) that will permanently eliminate the positions at GEC/R-FIMI, preventing any bureaucratic maneuvers to simply rename or reshuffle the office to continue its operations.
Biden administration’s attempt to evade Congressional oversight
The Global Engagement Center’s authorization had expired last year after Congress refused to reauthorize it. However, the Biden administration attempted to circumvent this by simply renaming the operation to the Counter Foreign Information Manipulation and Interference office (R-FIMI), and continuing its work.
“While GEC was formally sunset late last year after a showdown in Congress to deny its reauthorization, the Biden State Department got around this by putting GEC’s staff and operations under a new name: the Counter Foreign Information Manipulation and Interference office (R-FIMI),” Benz explained. “Last month, Rubio and Acting Under Secretary for Public Diplomacy Darren Beattie had already terminated over 100 contractors that R-FIMI worked with, which Benz described as “a deep partner web between censorship operatives in the private sector and the muscle of the US gov’t to go after speech.”
Last month, @SecRubio and Acting Under Secretary for Public Diplomacy @DarrenJBeattie terminated 100+ contractors that R-FIMI worked with, which formed a deep partner web between censorship operatives in the private sector and the muscle of the US gov’t to go after speech.
— Mike Benz (@MikeBenzCyber) April 16, 2025
Self-described “chief propagandist” loses his program
The GEC was originally founded by Richard Stengel, who once openly described his role as “chief propagandist” during a 2018 panel at the Council on Foreign Relations.
“I’m not against propaganda. Every country does it, they have to do it to their own population, and I don’t think it’s that awful,” Stengel said in a clip that has been widely circulated by critics of the program.
Richard Stengel is the founder of the State Department’s Global Engagement Center (GEC). He describes his job as “chief propagandist.”
“I’m not against propaganda. Every country does it, they have to do it to their own population, & I don’t think it’s that awful.” pic.twitter.com/gTnYX8lNRv
— Western Decline (@WesternDecline_) April 16, 2025
The closure represents a significant victory for free speech advocates and supporters of the Trump administration’s efforts to reform federal agencies.
Elon Musk, CEO of X (formerly Twitter), responded to the news with a warning to those who had been involved in government censorship: “They can run, but they can’t hide.”
The elimination of R-FIMI and the GEC is one of the most significant actions taken so far by the Trump administration in its effort to dismantle what they view as weaponized government agencies that have targeted American citizens.
Secretary Rubio’s decisive action signals that the new administration is serious about fulfilling its campaign promises to restore free speech and limit government overreach.
