Trump calls DHS disinformation board ‘a horrible thing’

Former President Trump called a recently announced Department of Homeland Security disinformation board “a horrible thing,” according to a recent interview.

“I think that it’s not even believable that we’re talking about this subject, if you want to know the truth,” the former president told CBN News in an interview published on Wednesday, saying he believed the board would censor people.

“Now they’re saying, ‘Oh, no, it’s just a recommendation.’ That’s where it all began. I guess that’s what they used to say in Russia. That’s what they said in the Soviet Union, right? We’re just going to do a little bit — no, we can’t do that, we can’t do that. That’s a horrible thing,” Trump added.

The comments from the former president come after the DHS unveiled the Disinformation Governance Board, which would tackle disinformation on a variety of subjects while making sure free speech and civil liberties are protected through oversight.

The announcement garnered backlash from Republicans.

Following the initiative’s rollout, legislation in both the House and Senate was introduced by Republicans that would seek to block the board amid allegations that it would “silence dissent” and curb free speech.

“This ‘ministry of truth’ is nothing more than a partisan ploy to silence dissent the Democratic Party objects to,” Sen. Marsha Blackburn (R-Tenn.), who is co-sponsoring a bill to block the initiative, said.

“The Department of Homeland Security should not be in the business of censoring free speech on Twitter and Facebook,” Rep. Lauren Boebert (R-Colo.), who is sponsoring a similar bill in the House, said in a statement.

Biden administration officials, including Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas, have defended the initiative, saying “we’re not the opinion police.”

“There are people in the department who have a diverse range of views, and they’re incredibly dedicated to the mission,” Mayorkas told “Fox News Sunday” last weekend. “We’re not the opinion police.”

The Homeland Security secretary said that the initiative’s mission was to “address disinformation that presents a threat to the homeland” and noted it would not be infringing on free speech.

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