Sarah B. Rogers
The Under Secretary for Public Diplomacy at the State Department, who is the guest on the podcast. She discusses issues of free speech, censorship, and the relationship between US tech companies and European regulators.
First Mentioned
1/23/2026, 6:34:54 AM
Last Updated
1/23/2026, 6:35:11 AM
Research Retrieved
1/23/2026, 6:35:11 AM
Summary
Sarah B. Rogers is an American lawyer who has served as the United States Under Secretary of State for Public Diplomacy and Public Affairs since 2025. In this role, she has discussed the challenges posed by increasing restrictions on free speech in Europe, particularly concerning new regulations like the UK's Online Safety Act and the EU's Digital Services Act. Rogers has highlighted a conflict between the United States' First Amendment principles and these European laws, which she describes as a "Censorship Tariff" due to the fines imposed on American tech companies. She has also introduced the concept of the "Censorship Industrial Complex," a network involving government agencies, NGOs, and tech companies that she alleges colludes to suppress certain viewpoints through tactics like debanking and demonetization. Rogers has contrasted the censorship experienced during the COVID-19 pandemic with a more free-speech-oriented direction influenced by figures like Donald Trump and Elon Musk, praising user-driven technologies on platforms like X as decentralized alternatives to top-down censorship.
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View on WikipediaSarah B. Rogers
Sarah B. Rogers is an American lawyer serving as United States Under Secretary of State for Public Diplomacy and Public Affairs since 2025.
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- Sarah B. Rogers
American lawyer | Sarah B. Rogers | | 11th Under Secretary of State for Public Diplomacy and Public Affairs | | Incumbent | | Assumed office October 10, 2025 | | President | Donald Trump | | Minister | Marco Rubio | | | | Personal details | | Education | Dartmouth College (BA) Columbia Law School (Juris Doctor) | Sarah B. Rogers is an American lawyer serving as United States Under Secretary of State for Public Diplomacy and Public Affairs since 2025. ## Career [edit] Rogers previously served as a tobacco lawyer. ### Second Trump Administration [edit] [...] Jump to content Search ## Contents (Top) 1 Career + 1.1 Second Trump Administration 2 References # Sarah B. Rogers Add links Article Talk Read Edit View history Tools Actions Read Edit View history General What links here Related changes Upload file Permanent link Page information Cite this page Get shortened URL Download QR code Print/export Download as PDF Printable version In other projects Wikidata item Appearance From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia American lawyer | Sarah B. Rogers | [...] 1. ^ "Sarah B. Rogers". United States Department of State. Retrieved January 16, 2026. 2. ^ a b "Some of the Lawyers Who May Fill a Second Trump Administration (Published 2023)". November 1, 2023. Archived from the original on October 27, 2025. Retrieved January 16, 2026. 3. ^ a b Washington, Katy Balls (December 8, 2025). "What's behind the Trump administration's ideological assault on the EU?". www.thetimes.com. Retrieved January 16, 2026. 4. ^ "U.S. Bars 5 European Tech Regulators and Researchers". December 24, 2025. Archived from the original on December 26, 2025. Retrieved January 16, 2026. 5. ^ "UK social media campaigners among five denied US visas". www.bbc.com. December 24, 2025. Retrieved January 16, 2026.
- Sarah B. Rogers - United States Department of State
Contact Us Telephone, Country Offices, and Key Officers Directories U.S. Ambassadors U.S. Embassies and Other Posts Diplomats in Residence Menu Image 1State Department HomeImage 2State Department HomeImage 3State Department Home search Search: Search Close Sarah B. Rogers Under Secretary of State for Public Diplomacy (R) October 10, 2025 - Present Image 4: Sarah B. Rogers Sarah B. Rogers was sworn in as the 11th Under Secretary of State for Public Diplomacy on October 10, 2025. [...] Under Secretary Rogers joins the Trump administration following a career as a law-firm partner and free speech activist. In 2024, she litigated a winning Supreme Court appeal under the First Amendment challenging the “debanking” of disfavored speakers by hostile regulators. She also spearheaded and supported challenges to social media censorship and the weaponization of law enforcement, including in connection with the successful appeal of the wrongful conviction of Douglass Mackey and the online censorship of Charlie Kirk. An expert on high-stakes advocacy inside and outside courtrooms, she has represented clients including the National Rifle Association, major tobacco manufacturers, and investors and executives in the artificial intelligence industry. [...] Under Secretary Rogers received her Bachelor of Arts in International Relations from Dartmouth College and her Juris Doctor from Columbia Law School. During 2003, she gained her first exposure to public diplomacy as an undergraduate intern and Nelson Rockefeller fellow in the Bureau of International Information Programs at the U.S. Department of State. Tags Department LeadershipState Department OfficialUnder Secretary for Public Diplomacy Back to Top White House USA.gov Office of the Inspector General Archives Contact Us Freedom 250 follow us FacebookXInstagramYouTubeFlickrGovDelivery Privacy Policy Accessibility Statement Copyright Information FOIA No FEAR Act Cookie Settings Cookie Settings Give feedback Close
- Outrage after US diplomat Sarah B Rogers equates ...
By MEE staff Published date: 16 January 2026 20:47 GMT | Last update: 22 hours 2 min ago In a post on Thursday that has ignited fierce backlash on social media, the US under secretary of state for public diplomacy, Sarah B Rogers, sparked controversy with a message widely condemned as racist and Islamophobic. Rogers, the top US diplomat responsible for public diplomacy and global messaging, posted comments on X (formerly Twitter) invoking stereotypes about Jews and immigrants that critics say echo the very bigotry the State Department claims to oppose. [...] When government officials amplify or fail to repudiate Islamophobic or racist content through their social media, it normalises such discourse and emboldens extremist voices worldwide, critics say. ### Public diplomacy norms? Observers say what makes the episode particularly alarming is Rogers’ position. As undersecretary for public diplomacy, she is charged with shaping how the United States communicates with foreign publics, countering disinformation, and promoting values such as pluralism, tolerance, and human rights on the global stage. Instead, critics argue, her language mirrors the very extremist and conspiratorial rhetoric US diplomats routinely claim to oppose. [...] Israel Jordan Kuwait Lebanon Libya Mauritania Morocco Oman Pakistan Palestine Qatar Russia Saudi Arabia Sudan Syria Tunisia Turkey UK United Arab Emirates US Yemen Youtube X Instagram Facebook TikTok Israel's genocide in Gaza Iran protests Yemen War ### Now Israel's genocide in Gaza Iran protests Yemen War ### Follow us Youtube Facebook X Instagram Trending | US Politics # Outrage after US diplomat Sarah B Rogers equates refugees with 'barbarian racist hordes' Rogers used openly racist and Islamophobic language online, with critics warning it reflects a broader normalisation of hate in official political discourse The US Department of State building in Washington, DC, on 22 July 2019 (Alastair Pike/AFP) By MEE staff
- Undersecretary Sarah Rogers on free speech, Europe's ... - Semafor
Listen to the latest episode of Mixed Signals here. Sarah Rogers, the State Department’s undersecretary for public diplomacy, joins Mixed Signals for a wide-ranging conversation about free speech, tech regulation, and why she’s been rattling the patience of some European governments. Max and Ben press her on confronting Europe over X, the Digital Services Act, and online speech — including accusations that she’s carrying water for Elon Musk and the far right. Rogers traces her worldview back to the early internet, Gawker comment sections, and First Amendment litigation, and explains why she sees today’s speech rules as potentially dangerous. [...] Max Tani: Every year, this is the second year in a row that we’ve been on the digital air at the time of Davos. And every year around that time, we like to have on a guest that kind of has a more global flavor, somebody who is influencing the global media landscape. Last year, we had Ian Bremmer on the show. This year, we have somebody a little bit different and somebody who’s really shaping tech policy when it comes to, in particular, Europe and a lot of the rest of the Western world. That’s Sarah Rogers. She’s the undersecretary for public diplomacy at the State Department. Ben, you’ve known Sarah for a little while. Tell us why do we want to have her on the show now and why is she getting under the skin of so many diplomats abroad? Ben Smith: [...] Sarah Rogers: I wouldn’t say that I’m complacent, but I’m hopeful. I think that the structure of communication has changed. And when you go through those kinds of shutters and shocks when you invent a new way of communicating or when communication is suddenly social, mobile, and local, or when communication is suddenly AI embedded, then the way that people think and the way they relate to each other changes. That’s why podcasts like yours are interesting because I think you think through how this affects the way people work, how this affects the way people reason.
- Under Secretary of State for Public Diplomacy and Public Affairs
| Seal of the United States Department of State | | Incumbent Sarah B. Rogers since October 10, 2025 | | United States Department of State | | Reports to | The U.S. secretary of state | | Seat | Washington, D.C. | | Appointer | The president with Senate advice and consent | | Term length | No fixed term | | Inaugural holder | Evelyn S. Lieberman | | Formation | October 1, 1999 | | Salary | Executive Schedule, Level 3 | | Website | Official Website | [...] | 11 | Sarah B. Rogers | October 10, 2025 - Present | | [...] | v t e United States under secretaries of state for public diplomacy and public affairs | | Evelyn Lieberman Charlotte Beers Margaret D. Tutwiler Karen Hughes James K. Glassman Judith McHale Kathleen Stephens Tara Sonenshine Richard Stengel Bruce Wharton (Acting) Steve Goldstein "Steve Goldstein (diplomat)") Heather Nauert (Acting) Michelle Giuda (Acting) Ulrich Brechbuhl (Acting) Nilda Pedrosa (Acting) Elizabeth M. Allen Sarah B. Rogers | Retrieved from "" Categories: United States under secretaries of state 1999 establishments in the United States Public relations in the United States Hidden categories: Articles with short description Short description matches Wikidata Under Secretary of State for Public Diplomacy and Public Affairs Add topic
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Sarah Lane, Rogers, Benton County, Arkansas, 72756, United States
Coordinates: 36.3309268, -94.0995360
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