South Central Reporter

In an April 30 Facebook post, Sen. Jason Plummer (R-Vandalia) shared a link to a Fox News story regarding free speech and the DHS. 

"If you know anyone who thinks for one second this is a good idea, never trust that person with power," Plummer posted. "Who would've ever thought we'd be in this place? People who cherish freedom, liberty, and opportunity better make a stand in November."

Republicans are sounding the alarm over Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas' Disinformation Governance Board. "The Federal Government has no business creating a Ministry of Truth," Sen. Tom Cotton (R-Ark.) tweeted Friday. "The Department of Homeland Security's 'Disinformation Board' is unconstitutional and un-American, and I'll be introducing a bill to defund it."

The Disinformation Governance Board has already been accused of repressing free speech, according to Politico. "The irony is that this board is really kind of boring," said a DHS official who was not authorized to address the topic on the record. "It was designed to protect against the very thing that we're being accused of doing — that is, it was designed to protect the free speech, privacy, civil rights and civil liberties of all Americans."

According to Fox News, before the House Appropriations Committee, Mayorkas outlined the plans and goals for this group. "The goal is to bring the resources of (DHS) together to address this threat," Mayorkas said during the hearing, adding that the department is focused on the spread of disinformation in minority communities ahead of the 2022 midterm elections.

“Clearly, our entire principles that the country was founded on you cannot have a Ministry of Truth in this country," Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis (R) said during a press conference, according to Fox News. "So let’s get real here, let’s make sure we’re doing things to benefit Floridians and Americans, but we’re not going to let Biden get away with this one."