Jen Psaki, White House Press Secretary, defended Thursday’s Department of Homeland Security initiative to combat “disinformation,” on issues related COVID-19/elections.
Jacqui Heinrich, Fox News White House correspondent, asked Psaki for more details about DHS’ Disinformation Governance board. Psaki replied, “I really haven’t dug into that exactly. I mean, although we support this effort, but let me see what I can do to get more specifics.”
The White House supported a DHS effort to combat online disinformation.
Alejandro Mayorkas, Homeland Security Secretary, testified Wednesday that a Disinformation governance Board was recently established to combat online disinformation. Politico reported that Nina Jankowicz will be the board’s executive director. She previously worked as a disinformation fellow at Wilson Center.
Psaki stated that “we know there has been some [disinformation] out here about a variety of topics, I mean COVID for instance, as well as elections and eligibility,” and added that she would verify additional information regarding the board’s plans.
Heinrich asked Psaki about Jankowicz’s statements and how the administration could “assuage fears” over her appointment as the head of the effort to be fair. Psaki replied, “It seems like the goal of the board is prevent disinformation and malinformation from traveling around across the country in a variety of communities.” It’s not clear who is opposed to that effort.
Psaki said to reporters that she wasn’t sure who Jankowicz was and didn’t have any information to share with them.
Jankowicz was previously a Wilson Center disinformation fellow. She is now facing criticism for comments she made about the Hunter Biden laptop case.
Jankowicz previously called the laptop, which was authenticated by multiple news outlets as a Trump campaign product, and suggested that it was a Russian influence op.
Jankowicz tried to clarify her tweet from October 2020 this week, stating that she was only live tweeting about a presidential debate.
Members of Congress as well as critics on social media have condemned Jankowicz’s appointment and expressed concern that she wouldn’t be impartial and objective director of the board.
In a tweet, Republican Senator Josh Hawley stated that Homeland Security had decided to make policing Americans speech their top priority rather than police our borders. They’re creating a Disinformation Board. No, really. Take a look at what the leftist radicals are thinking.
Chuck Ross, Washington Free Beacon reporter, tweeted “Apparently this individual is the new Head of Homeland Security’s Disinformation Governance Board.” “The Steele dossier was not funded by the Republicans.”
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