Sen. Marco Rubio urged U.S. diplomats, in a memorandum reviewed by Reuters, to use X and coordinate with Pentagon psychological operations to counter foreign "anti‑American propaganda." The guidance recommends leveraging X's "community notes" and unspecified AI tools to surface reliable information and expose falsehoods. The memo references past MISO campaigns, including a 2015 leaflet drop in Syria, and comes amid scrutiny of X after major moderation changes under Elon Musk.
Rubio Urges Diplomats To Use X And Coordinate With Military PsyOps To Counter 'Anti‑American Propaganda'
FILE PHOTO: US Secretary of State Marco Rubio looks on as he speaks to the press before his departure following a G7 Foreign Ministers' meeting with Partner Countries before his departure at the Bourget airport in Le Bourget, outside Paris, France, March 27, 2026. Brendan Smialowski/Pool via REUTERS/File Photo
WASHINGTON, March 31 (Reuters) - Sen. Marco Rubio has urged U.S. diplomats to make greater use of Elon Musk's social platform X and to coordinate with Pentagon psychological operations units to help counter what he described as foreign "anti‑American propaganda," according to a memorandum reviewed by Reuters.
The guidance — first disclosed by The Guardian and reviewed by Reuters — directs diplomatic posts to identify and expose foreign influence campaigns and false narratives that, the memo says, "pose a direct threat to U.S. national security and fuel hostility toward American interests." It encourages diplomats to "coordinate with interagency partners as appropriate," specifically citing the Pentagon's Psychological Operations branch (formerly Military Information Support Operations, or MISO).
"Coordinate with interagency partners as appropriate," the memorandum states, singling out cooperation with the Pentagon's psyops units.
The memo does not provide operational specifics. Historically, MISO and its successors have focused on influencing adversary forces and populations in conflict zones. The memorandum references past campaigns, including a 2015 operation in Syria in which tens of thousands of graphic, cartoon‑style leaflets depicting recruits being forced into a "meatgrinder" were air‑dropped over areas held by Islamic State.
Deployments of military psychological operations have at times created friction with diplomats: during the first Trump administration, Pentagon psyops teams reportedly used bogus social media accounts to spread doubts about China's COVID‑19 vaccine, a tactic that State Department officials objected to, Reuters has previously reported.
The memorandum also urges diplomats to elevate trustworthy information and expose falsehoods by using tools such as X's crowdsourced commentary feature, "community notes," and other, unspecified artificial intelligence tools to identify and rebut disinformation.
Neither the Pentagon nor X and its owner xAI immediately responded to requests for comment. X has faced criticism that moderation cuts since Elon Musk's 2022 takeover have made the platform more susceptible to misinformation; X counters that it favors free speech and that community‑driven notes are preferable to centralized moderation.
Separately, xAI was acquired last month by Musk's SpaceX ahead of an anticipated Wall Street listing, a move that places X and the rocket company under the same corporate umbrella and has prompted questions about the platform's influence in political communication.
Implications: The memo signals a more assertive approach to combating foreign influence online by combining diplomatic channels, social platforms and military information capabilities. That blend raises policy and ethical questions about the line between diplomatic public affairs and military information operations — and about transparency, oversight and the risks of using a platform critics say is vulnerable to manipulation.
Correction note: The original reporting described Rubio as "Secretary of State" in error. Rubio is a U.S. senator; this version corrects his title.
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