Biden Admin Accused of Being “Orwellian” After Announcing Board to Combat “Disinformation” in 2022 Midterms

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Following the news of Tesla CEO Elon Musk’s purchase of Twitter with the intention of taking the company private and loosening its content-policing policies to prevent censorship, the Biden Administration announced the formation of a “Disinformation Governance Board” (DGB) that will seek out so-called “fake news” related to the upcoming 2022 midterm elections.

The move was confirmed at a hearing on Wednesday by Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas, just days after news of Musk’s buyout was released on Monday, leading some to speculate that the move was done directly to combat a potentially censorship-free Twitter.

“The goal is to bring the resources of the Department of Homeland Security together to address this threat,” Mayorkas said, saying that the DGB will focus on disinformation affecting minority groups.

Conservatives have blasted the move by the White House, with Florida Republican Congressional Candidate Dr. Willie J. Montague calling it “Orwellian,” a reference to the novel 1984 by George Orwell that depicts a dystopian future where the government controls all information with an iron fist.

“Is there anything more dystopian than a Disinformation Governance Board run by the federal government?” Montague tweeted.

Senator Josh Hawley (R-MO) tweeted his opposition to the DGB, calling for the “monstrosity” to be “dissolved immediately.”

“The Administration that activated the FBI against parents at school board meetings now has created a government Disinformation Board to monitor all Americans’ speech,” he said. “It’s a disgrace. Joe Biden & Secretary Mayorkas: dissolve this monstrosity immediately.”

Hawley also included a copy of a letter to DHS Secretary Mayorkas in his tweet, insisting on details of how the board will conduct its duties, which currently have not been officially outlined.

Rep. Troy Nehls (R-TX) noted on Twitter the extreme coincidence of the timing regarding Musk’s Twitter buyout and the Biden Admin announcing the DGB.

“They didn’t need a ‘Disinformation Governance Board’ until @elonmusk threatened their control over the narrative,” he said.