The State Department has launched a new effort to counter propaganda and disinformation campaigns launched across the globe by a host of rogue nations, including Russia, China, and Iran, according to senior U.S. officials who briefed the Washington Free Beacon on the new undertaking, which they say will put the United States “on the offense” against these countries.
The State Department’s Global Engagement Center, or GEC, which just received a $40 million cash influx, is refocusing its priorities on what senior Trump administration officials described as a global battle against propaganda that undermines the U.S. role in the world and its national security priorities.
As the Trump administration undertakes efforts domestically to address Russian election meddling as well as efforts by Iran and China to disrupt the American political landscape, the GEC will focus outside the U.S. borders to disrupt a range of disinformation operations by rogue nations seeking to increase their influence in regional hotspots.