The recent decision to shut down the Global Engagement Center is not just a policy change, it’s a national security crisis in the making.

This office was our frontline defense against foreign disinformation campaigns launched by adversaries like Russia, China, and Iran. It identified and exposed coordinated efforts to mislead the public, sow chaos, and manipulate public opinion. Without it, the door is wide open for lies to influence military decisions, foreign policy, elections, and even the safety of our own communities.

We are not talking about opinions. We are talking about targeted, foreign-backed deception efforts that put lives at risk. The center’s job wasn’t to silence Americans, it was to protect them from propaganda designed to weaken our democracy from within. Closing it sends the message that we’re willing to let disinformation run wild, unchecked and unchallenged.

This decision was made against the advice of experienced national security officials and bipartisan members of Congress. It ignores the reality of modern threats and plays politics with something we simply cannot afford to gamble on: the truth.

We demand the immediate reopening of the Global Engagement Center. National security should never be a partisan issue. The safety of our country and the integrity of the information we rely on is too important to sacrifice.

(AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite, File)