State Department Disinformation Office Shut Down by Trump Administration

On April 16, 2025, Secretary of State Marco Rubio made headlines as he announced the closure of the Counter Foreign Information Manipulation and Interference Hub at the State Department. This decision follows the dismantling of operations initially set up to counteract disinformation from foreign governments, including China, Russia, and Iran. The office's approximately 40 employees have been placed on paid leave as part of the restructuring.

The closure, which had anticipated for weeks, follows a series of layoffs including about 80 contractors earlier in March. The disinformation hub was responsible for monitoring false narratives propagated by rival states and terrorist organizations and reporting on those activities. Rubio's move is framed as a response to criticism from some Republican legislators who argued that the office unfairly targeted right-wing voices while collaborating with tech companies to suppress conservative sentiments.

In his statement, Rubio accused the previous administration's approach of "silencing and censoring Americans," although he failed to provide supporting evidence for these claims. Critics, including former State Department official James P. Rubin, have voiced strong objections to the closure. Rubin described it as a dangerous step back in the ongoing war of information against adversaries like Russia and China, labeling it "unilateral disarmament" in the face of active disinformation campaigns worldwide.