Documents leaked by Trump official to bolster a conspiracy show ‘absolutely nothing’

Key Points:

• Leaked documents from the now-disbanded Global Engagement Center (GEC), a State Department office focused on countering foreign propaganda, do not provide evidence that the center engaged in domestic censorship, according to two former senior officials.
• The GEC, which was defunded and dissolved after Donald Trump’s 2025 return to office amid Republican accusations of censoring conservative speech, primarily focused on tracking foreign influence operations from countries like Russia, China, and Iran.
• The State Department is resuming some counter-propaganda efforts, including an $11 million campaign to pay social media influencers in Southeast Asia to counter Chinese disinformation, reflecting a continuation of the GEC’s foreign-facing mission under a new structure.
• Conservative critics, including rightwing analyst Jennica Pounds who received the leaked files, have alleged the GEC was weaponized against domestic political opponents, but former officials maintain these claims are unfounded and represent political mischaracterization.
• Despite bipartisan support in the past, the GEC’s closure has led to concerns about lost US influence in global counter-disinformation efforts and the effectiveness of current programs, which now rely more heavily on contractors and external vendors.