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Tony Kinnett's concerns over the Biden administration's proposed "Disinformation Governance Board" compelled him to create a wildly popular Twitter page that reeled in 150,000 followers in only two days.
Kinnett, journalist and director for both The Chalkboard Review and Choice Media, recounted what compelled him to start his "U.S. Ministry of Truth" account during an interview with Fox News Digital, where he also delved into his thoughts on the Biden administration's "dystopian" move.
Logo of the U.S. Ministry of Truth parody Twitter page (Credit: U.S. Ministry of Truth on Twitter, Tony Kinnett).
The idea started with an image, the logo synonymous with the account.
"When I heard about the U.S. Disinformation Governance Board, I thought, well, what would a seal of that look like?" he said.
"I made the seal and threw it up on Twitter and a few friends shared it … Everyone was talking about [the disinformation board]. It was getting universal scorn, and it was almost impossible to defend, so I thought let's go ahead and pile on."
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Kinnett said he was shocked to find no other accounts bearing the name he sought to use.
"[I thought] I'm sure that there are already like 30 Ministry of Truth accounts … and I looked and there were none and all the usernames that I could have wanted were available, which is very unusual for Twitter," he said, adding that he selected the "U.S. Ministry of Truth" title as a nod to the dystopian society from George Orwell's "1984."
George Orwell (Photo by ullstein bild / ullstein bild via Getty Images) (ullstein picture)
Orwellian language runs rampant on the page as a key element of the tongue-in-cheek takedown of the Biden administration's controversial move, with the fictitious department crediting its origin to the year 1984 and with tweets mirroring language from the novel – including one noting that the "clocks are striking thirteen."
Kinnett told Fox News Digital there is a reason behind the Orwellian bombardment.
"How could it be anything else?" He asked "It's because [the board] is laughably dystopian. I mean, we're the nation that, for its entire existence, has championed free speech as our governing principle. It's what we used as our number one bat to beat the Soviet Union in the Cold War, it's what we promoted day in and day out, through every presidential election, every debate, every single interview with American politicians.
"We have driven home the point that, at no time, shall the government interfere with the process of free speech. I mean, our presidents go to roasting sessions with correspondent journalists [at] dinners. That's something that doesn't happen in almost any place in the world."
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Kinnett said the U.S. has turned into a "parody" of the Evil Empire with its newfound love for "limiting information."
"They're not even making it just a passing action the Department of Homeland Security thought they would enact quietly. They made a board called the disinformation board. Really?" he said. "It's insane to see this Orwellian vibe being fostered and nurtured in the public atmosphere."
He then lambasted the Biden administration for what he called the "dumbest political move" he has heard in ages and called the disinformation board "political suicide" in light of November's midterms.
Kinnett lamented the progressive left's push to crack down on citizens' free speech using a government entity with powers not enumerated in the Constitution. He even feared that going so far could lead to violence.
"You could genuinely make a case that it's inciting violence, and I'm not trying to be dramatic," he said. "I do think that if the government comes out and says Citizen X, Y, Z has lied, then you are telling the rest of the country that that individual is dangerous and should have some kind of action taken against them. That's genuinely terrifying."
WASHINGTON, DC - MARCH 09: Elon Musk, founder and chief engineer of SpaceX speaks at the 2020 Satellite Conference and Exhibition March 9, 2020 in Washington, D.C. (Photo by Win McNamee/Getty Images) (Win McNamee/Getty Images)
Kinnett also weighed in on billionaire Elon Musk's purchase of Twitter, saying he thinks his possible changes would improve the platform.
"So far I've seen him engaging with conservatives the same engaging with liberals, with traditionalists and progressives. I do not believe that he's going to restrict freedom of speech in any of the ways that it's been told that he will," he said.
"Then again, most of the criticisms about his taking over Twitter aren't accusing him of a plot to limit free speech, only to increase hate speech, which I don't see any evidence of," he continued.
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Kinnet's satirical U.S. Ministry of Truth account continues to gain thousands of new followers after kicking off with its first tweet last week.
The account had garnered approximately 220,000 followers by Wednesday afternoon.
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