WASHINGTON, D.C. – Following its victory in disbanding the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) “Homeland Intelligence Experts Group,” America First Legal (AFL) has released the sixth tranche of the group’s internal meeting notes, obtained through litigation. This is part of #DeepStateDiaries, a series of releases including newly obtained documents.
Today’s installment highlights how the group led by John Brennan and James Clapper advocated for using DHS’s Office of Intelligence and Analysis to adopt covert messaging and influence campaigns targeted at the American public.
In a previous installment of #DeepStateDiaries, documents revealed that the group believed “quietly making democracy work” was key to addressing political dissent. The current release shows discussions on manipulating messages and using “trusted messengers” to influence public perception on issues.
During a September 2023 meeting, the group discussed ways to promote their partisan message that domestic extremism threats primarily come from Trump supporters. They also considered redefining political dissent as a “public health” crisis. Initially, they wanted this messaging to originate from the White House.
One participant acknowledged President Biden’s decline stating, “The President seems an ineffective messenger, particularly with who his opponent is,” and asked, “who could be a good messenger?” Another member noted Secretary Mayorkas’ efforts with elected officials: “The other guy [Trump] has been forceful. S1 [Mayorkas] has rallied across the government on this.”
This participant suggested that DHS should "quietly talk to people" and work with individuals across political lines to "arm them with the right information." The group looked at private sector crisis communications as an example and discussed potential surrogates for their message.
Suggestions included enlisting the National Sheriffs Association or border sheriffs to reach skeptical audiences and engaging state and local leaders due to mistrust at the national level. Another proposal was collaborating with hosts of the "All In" podcast because it had featured all Republican candidates; securing support from these hosts could enhance message credibility.
In summary, the Brennan-Clapper-led DHS intel group extensively discussed strategies for influencing public opinion through various channels including political leaders, social media companies, and trusted media outlets. Their core message posited that domestic violent extremism emanates from Trump supporters, advocating for censorship or treatment of such speech as a public health issue.
Previous installments of #DeepStateDiaries have shown AFL revealing proposals for expanding DHS's community reach ambiguously, tagging Americans based on affiliations prone to violence, leveraging events like January 6 for surveillance justification, and acknowledging a Deep State working quietly against perceived domestic terrorism threats linked to former president supporters.
Stay tuned for further installments of #DeepStateDiaries...
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