The media has responded with outrage to the Trump administration’s review of the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA), an agency that played a key role in flagging and censoring political speech under the guise of combating “misinformation” as detailed here. While CISA was originally created in 2018 to focus on cybersecurity, its expansion into election oversight led to concerns over government suppression of free speech.

Attorney General Pam Bondi’s office confirmed that all CISA programs related to election security and online monitoring are under scrutiny. Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem has said that CISA has moved beyond its intended mission and should be reined in.

Several media outlets have rushed to defend the agency’s work. Politico referred to the review as “gutting cyber workers,” while Wired claimed it was about “accommodating Trump’s false claims.” VoteBeat warned that election officials are concerned about CISA’s diminished role in the 2024 and future elections.

However, documents obtained by America First Legal show that CISA was actively engaged in efforts to suppress online discussions. A congressional report revealed that the agency worked alongside the State Department’s Global Engagement Center and Stanford University to coordinate censorship efforts with major tech companies. The Election Integrity Partnership (EIP), formed at CISA’s request, was tasked with flagging online content for removal — including posts containing true information that was deemed problematic.

Further evidence showed that CISA held meetings with social media executives, urging them to get “comfortable with government” involvement in regulating speech. The agency also partnered with Pennsylvania officials to target what it labeled as “threatening” election-related discussions.

Trump has made it clear that his administration will not tolerate federal involvement in censorship. One of his first executive orders upon returning to office was aimed at ending government suppression of speech and initiating a full review of agencies engaged in such activities. CISA’s role in future elections remains in question as the administration continues its investigation.