Alejandro Mayorkas, Secretary of the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), has admitted that he fared poorly in communicating the purpose of the department’s newly created Disinformation Governance Board, which critics have lambasted as a threat to free speech.
“It’s not about speech, it’s about the connectivity to violence. That is what we need to address. You know, an individual has the free speech right to spew anti-Semitic rhetoric. What they don’t have the right to do is take hostages in a synagogue, and that’s where we get involved,” Mayorkas said.
The Disinformation Governance Board was announced by Mayorkas on April 27, stating that it is aimed at preventing the spread of online misinformation among minority communities, especially during the upcoming midterm elections.
Mayorkas also called the controversial head of the Disinformation Board Nina Jankowicz a “renowned expert” and someone who is “eminently qualified” to lead the board. He also claimed that the disinformation head was ”neutral.” In his Fox interview, the DHS secretary said that he does not question her objectivity.
“There are people in the department who have a diverse range of views, and they’re incredibly dedicated to the mission. We’re not the opinion police. She has testified before Congress a number of times, she’s recognized as a tremendous authority, and we’re very fortunate to have her.”
However, Jankowicz has been shown to take a clear political stance, for instance, when she publically went against former President Donald Trump several times. In the past, she has praised the British spy who was behind the now-debunked Russia dossier which alleged that the Trump campaign had ties with Moscow.
Jankowicz also claimed Trump’s presidency would embolden ISIS. She has also insisted that the Hunter Biden laptop story was a Russian disinformation plot.
According to Hawley, Jankowicz has criticized the First Amendment and free speech rights in the past, making her a suspect choice for heading Washington’s disinformation board. She has called people who opposed speech codes on social media as “first amendment zealots.”