Posted originally on CTH on April 16, 2025 | Sundance 

The State Dept. Global Engagement Center was the epicenter of the Dept of State operation to control speech on social media platforms.  Following revelations from within the Twitter Files, and facing increasing scrutiny, the GEC operation was shut down – but the remnants of the operation remained active within the State Dept.

The terms “disinformation, misinformation and malinformation” were weaponized by the State Dept to define speech against their interests and block, deplatform and remove any voices, including in the U.S., they determined were against the interests of the U.S. government.  The COVID-19 and vaccine narrative were both examples of speech targeted by the GEC and later the Counter Foreign Information Manipulation and Interference office (R-FIMI).

Today, Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Acting Undersecretary of Public Diplomacy, Darren Beattie, delivered notice to congress the speech and platform control operation has been shut down.  Secretary Rubio sat down with Mike Benz to discuss [Transcript Here].

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Secretary Rubio continues to surprise many, me included.  It started when Rubio publicly said, the Ukraine conflict was a U.S. proxy war against Russia. “It’s been very clear from the beginning that President Trump views this as a protracted, stalemated conflict,” Rubio said. “And frankly, it’s a proxy war between nuclear powers, the United States helping Ukraine, and Russia.” [link]

Considering that Rubio previously called for NATO intervention in Ukraine, and considering that Rubio voted to limit the ability of the President to withdraw from NATO policy, the recent remarks by Secretary of State Rubio were shockingly the opposite of his prior stances.

Saying the USA is in a proxy war with Russia, via Ukraine, is not something Marco Rubio can retreat from.

Two days ago, specifically because of my granular research, I was asked this question about Rubio. “What are the odds this is really Rubio?”

Look, I don’t know what happened and would love to ask him some details to get answers; but Rubio’s statements are so far out there against the Deepest part of the Deep State, there is no retreat for the former Chairman of the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence.

Rubio said publicly the Ukraine conflict was a USA proxy war against Russia. For obvious reasons the MSM essentially buried that statement fast; but it’s not something he can ever retreat from, nor does it look like he would want to.

Either Rubio has some pre-approved ability to criticize the darkest elements of the DC Deep State, and this is some rather intense operation to position himself as a stealth agent of the CIA for future benefit, or Rubio really believes what he is saying now and is a changed person.

I’m still undecided, because there are some IC facets at play (even today) that I am still not comfortable writing about, yet.

That said, where do these statements put Rubio in the dynamic of MAGA foreign policy? Right at the tippy top of the spear against the deadliest elements of the U.S. Intelligence Apparatus.

The United States Secretary of State told the world, the biggest conflict zone in the past 20 years is the result of Ukraine being a USA proxy war against Russia.

Put everything else aside for the moment and realize, with that statement the guy just wiped out every Deep State affiliation he ever carried. He cannot enter that camp ever again. Rubio “burned the boat” and carried his weapon into battle for Trump.

The question is, did Rubio burn his boat knowing there is another one beyond the horizon waiting to come in and pick him up later?  He really is playing the role of a dragon slayer for President Trump right now.

♦ Suspicious Cat says, if Benz, who can play the piano like a Red Sparrow, is an affiliate of a domestic CIA team, then this whole thing is an op.  However, if Benz is a genuine independent voice against the interests of the control system, then Rubio -who touched the flame of the SSCI- might have reversed his worldview.

If legit, this Rubio shift is akin to a leopard changing to zebra stripes; crazy, super rare.  He was a 99-0 Senate confirmation vote.

We need to keep watching, closely.