Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas defended his agency's controversial new Disinformation Governance Board.

Mayorkas said the board would not be used to monitor U.S. citizens and praised its new leader, who has come under fire, during a Sunday interview on CNN's State of the Union.

"The board does not have any operational authority or capability," Mayorkas told CNN's Dana Bash. "What it will do is gather together best practices in addressing the threat of disinformation from foreign state adversaries, from the cartels, and disseminate those best practices to the operators that have been executing in addressing this threat for years."

The secretary said "no" when asked if the board will monitor U.S. citizens.

BIDEN ADMINISTRATION TAKES HEAT OVER DHS DISINFORMATION BOARD

Mayorkas also defended the board's head, Nina Jankowicz, calling her "eminently qualified," a "renowned expert," and "neutral."

Jankowicz, who previously served as a disinformation fellow at the Woodrow Wilson Center think tank, has been criticized for her promotion of Christopher Steele's discredited dossier and dismissing concerns around Hunter Biden and his laptop. Republicans immediately began criticizing the board, comparing it to the Ministry of Truth in George Orwell's book 1984.

The DHS secretary conceded that the Biden administration failed to give the board a proper rollout and communicate its purpose.

"We probably could have done a better job on what it does and does not do," he said.

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Mayorkas mentioned the board during a hearing before the House Appropriations Subcommittee on Homeland Security on Wednesday, stating that his department had recently constituted the board.

The White House defended the board, saying that it is a continuation of an effort organized by the Trump administration.