adminA startling new investigation shows that the Biden administration has quietly funneled hundreds of millions of taxpayer dollars into so-called “misinformation” research programs, dwarfing spending levels on similar efforts under President Trump and raising serious questions about the White House’s commitment to free speech.
The report, compiled by nonpartisan watchdog Open the Books, reveals that since 2021, the Biden-Harris administration has spent at least $267 million in grants and contracts related to “misinformation” or “disinformation.” By contrast, similar funding during President Donald Trump’s first term amounted to just $6.72 million. That staggering 3,800% increase comes amid rising concerns that the federal government is blurring the line between public health communications and outright censorship.
Massive Expansion of Censorship Tools
Open the Books’ review—and subsequent verification of the details—uncovered more than just ballooning budgets. Its findings suggest that federal agencies have ventured well beyond mere health advisories. They have financed surveillance strategies intended to track online speech, created internal pipelines to generate “counter-messages” to content deemed “misleading,” and funded projects that appear geared toward shaping public opinion rather than informing citizens.
In one case, the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) awarded $2.3 million to the University of Pennsylvania. The grant’s stated purpose? To investigate COVID-19 misinformation exposure in Black and rural communities. These funds are not simply about identifying inaccuracies; they are tied to developing what the grant’s description calls “precision public health messaging.” In practical terms, that means studying how Americans communicate online, parsing their social media posts, and then crafting persuasive messaging to influence their beliefs.
Some of the projects funded by HHS and other agencies target “vulnerable” populations, as determined by the government and academic researchers. But critics worry these efforts could just as easily serve as a blueprint for messaging campaigns aimed at silencing dissent or marginalizing viewpoints considered politically inconvenient.
The DHS Connection: From Defense Contracts to Data Analysis
Equally disconcerting is the role of the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), which contracted with a defense firm, Guidehouse, for $1.2 million to analyze “misinformation, disinformation, and malinformation.” The company touts a six-step approach to monitoring and addressing online narratives. Among these steps are the deployment of surveillance tools to “monitor the information landscape” and crafting “counter-messages” to neutralize perceived falsehoods.
The notion that a domestic agency—originally formed to prevent terrorism—is now policing speech and monitoring digital discussions is, at best, unsettling. At worst, it suggests that the federal government is creeping toward a system where it wields its resources to shape or suppress the dialogue of everyday Americans.
When ‘Fact-Checking’ Becomes Partisan Messaging
The report also found that taxpayer dollars went toward funding research overtly critical of former President Trump and other leaders pegged as “populist.” For example, the National Science Foundation supported a George Washington University study examining how populist leaders affected “solidarity” during the pandemic. That research ultimately recommended giving more power and authority to government officials and “experts” during public health crises—an endorsement of top-down control that plays conveniently into the narrative that only “approved” voices should guide public policy.
To many Americans, this crosses the line from fact-finding into propaganda. Rather than fostering open debate, these taxpayer-funded projects seem bent on amplifying the establishment’s preferred worldview, while stamping out dissenting opinions as “misinformation.”
A Track Record That Undermines Credibility
Supporters of these programs might argue that combating misinformation is a noble goal, especially in crises like the COVID-19 pandemic. But the Biden administration and the very universities it funded were themselves purveyors of flawed advice. Government agencies and elite institutions frequently embraced policies—like prolonged mask mandates on transportation—long after substantial evidence indicated these measures had minimal impact on viral spread.
When the same entities that once championed questionable COVID-19 policies now cast themselves as arbiters of truth, it’s hardly surprising that skepticism abounds. As revelations mount, it becomes clearer that what started as “fact-checking” could metastasize into a federal apparatus for narrative enforcement.
Where Do We Go From Here?
President-elect Trump has vowed to restore free speech protections and dismantle what critics call a taxpayer-funded censorship network. If his new administration holds firm to this promise, it will need to take immediate action to end the massive funding pipelines currently fueling these projects. Rolling back these programs won’t just save money—it could also avert a chilling era where federal officials manipulate the digital public square to their political advantage.
Ultimately, a free society requires free debate. Policymakers should focus on providing citizens with transparent information, not engineering hidden strategies to guide or curb their speech. The Biden administration’s “misinformation” spending spree, as exposed by Open the Books, stands as a glaring warning sign: When government agencies and their allies anoint themselves the gatekeepers of truth, the first casualty is the open exchange of ideas that defines a healthy democracy.
