Biden administration allocated $267 million to combat misinformation, raising serious concerns about free speech infringement and government overreach.
That sounds like something DOGE should handle.
At a Glance
- Biden administration spent $267 million on misinformation-related research, an 3,800% increase from Trump era
- Critics argue the initiative threatens First Amendment rights and democratic processes
- Concerns raised about potential suppression of legitimate viewpoints and partisan bias
- Advocates stress the importance of protecting free speech to challenge misinformation
Unprecedented Spending on Misinformation Research
The Biden administration has made many awful decisions over the last four years, and news that that it spent a staggering $267 million to combat what it deems “misinformation” only proves how widespread the problem has been. The news comes from a report by nonpartisan government watchdog group Open the Books.
The spending represented an alarming 3,800% increase compared to spending during the first Trump administration. The initiative, while ostensibly aimed at protecting public discourse, has ignited a firestorm of criticism from those concerned about its implications for free speech and civil liberties.
Critics argue that this massive expenditure is not just about fact-checking or promoting accurate information. Instead, they see it as a thinly veiled attempt to control public narrative and suppress dissenting voices, particularly on social media platforms where much of today’s public discourse takes place.
Government Overreach and Partisan Concerns
One of the most troubling aspects of this initiative is the potential for partisan bias and government overreach. The administration has been accused of funding research that appears to target political opponents rather than genuinely harmful misinformation. For instance, a $200,000 National Science Foundation grant was awarded to George Washington University for research that focused heavily on former President Trump’s leadership during the COVID-19 pandemic.
“Researchers on this Biden-era grant examined how so-called ‘populist’ leaders supposedly prevented society from coming together in ‘solidarity’ during the COVID pandemic. Trump’s presidency was a focus of the research, along with the leaders of three other countries,” the Open the Books report reveals.
The push to combat misinformation has already led to instances of legitimate information being suppressed. For example, during the COVID-19 pandemic, social media platforms, in collaboration with government agencies, censored dissenting views on topics such as vaccine efficacy and mask mandates. This heavy-handed approach not only stifled important debate but also eroded public trust when some of these “misinformation” claims later proved to be valid concerns.
Even Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg has since admitted that it was wrong to censor differing opinions on vaccines, masks, and social distancing. This admission underscores the dangers of allowing government or tech companies to be the arbiters of truth in public discourse.
And if leftists like Zuckerberg know it’s wrong, and the Democrats still refuse to admit it, we have a real problem.
Thankfully, that spending will be over as soon as Trump takes office.
