Secretary of State Marco Rubio has shut down a controversial State Department office accused of censoring Americans. The closure ends what many saw as a taxpayer-funded tool for silencing dissent.
Key Facts: Government Censorship Office Finally Shuttered
- Secretary of State Marco Rubio closed the State Department’s Counter Foreign Information Manipulation and Interference (R/FIMI) office.
- The office was formerly known as the Global Engagement Center (GEC) and cost taxpayers over $50 million annually.
- Rubio claimed the office was used to silence American voices under the guise of countering foreign influence.
- Rubio announced the closure in a statement and op-ed, saying the office simply rebranded after Congress cut funding.
- Congressmen Dan Bishop and Derrick Van Orden publicly praised the decision.
The Rest of the Story: How the Government Censorship Operation Was Rebranded
Originally called the Global Engagement Center, the office was meant to fight foreign propaganda.
But Rubio said it went far beyond that, turning its tools inward to censor Americans.
He argued that when Republicans in Congress ended the GEC’s funding in 2023, the Biden administration tried to keep it alive by renaming it the Counter Foreign Information Manipulation and Interference office—R/FIMI.
According to Rubio, the new name came with the same staff and mission.
He emphasized in a Federalist article that the rebranding was a thin disguise to keep the operation going under the radar.
His move to close it officially signals a hard stop to what he considers a dangerous government overreach.
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
Commentary: Why Government Censorship Must Be Exposed and Ended
Shutting down this office is not just a political win—it’s a win for every American who believes in free speech.
A government-funded agency targeting its own citizens under the excuse of fighting foreign interference is a direct violation of our most sacred rights.
No agency, no matter how well-intentioned its mission sounds, should ever be allowed to censor American voices.
Rubio’s statement makes it clear that this wasn’t an innocent error or misunderstanding.
It was a calculated attempt to continue the same censorship operations under a different label, hoping no one would notice.
That kind of dishonesty is not just shameful—it’s dangerous.
People deserve to know who participated in this scheme.
Every staffer who worked to silence Americans using government dollars should be publicly identified.
They should never again hold positions of power or influence.
Transparency is the first step toward accountability.
Too many in Washington believe they know better than the public and use that arrogance to justify silencing disagreement.
But the First Amendment is not optional.
It is not flexible.
And it certainly doesn’t make exceptions for bureaucrats with fancy titles and vague missions.
We cannot allow this pattern to repeat.
Americans must remain vigilant and demand that their government protect their rights, not erode them.
The closing of R/FIMI is a step in the right direction, but the fight is far from over.
It’s time to draw a clear line: government censorship is never acceptable.
The Bottom Line: Why Government Censorship is Wrong And Can Never Be Allowed
The State Department’s R/FIMI office, formerly the GEC, has been permanently shut down after claims it was used to censor Americans.
Marco Rubio led the charge to eliminate the program, calling out its rebranding efforts as a cover-up.
This closure sends a clear message: censorship has no place in a free society.
Government agencies must protect, not police, speech.
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