President Trump's election has brought about mass layoffs among federal employees and contractors, including some who have sued and others who have protested.

But one group — that of America’s would-be censors — is taking its cause worldwide.

During the Biden administration, a massive industry took root, seeping up billions in taxpayer funds to research, target and combat those accused of misinformation, disinformation and "malinformation."

Although the exact number is uncertain, many trained censors are now facing unemployment. These self-described "disinformation experts" have become the modern equivalent of rōnin, the Japanese samurai who found themselves without a master and wandered the land looking for a new use of their skill set. They are finding precisely that calling in academia, not-for-profit groups and, most importantly, Europe.

A speech-regulation industry that was booming under Biden has gone bust under Trump. Over the last four years, massive amounts of money were poured into universities, non-governmental organizations and other groups in an unprecedented alliance of government, academia and corporations.

The media lionized many in the industry as “saving democracy” by controlling, targeting and suppressing others' political speech. Not only did federal agencies fund these efforts, but they also coordinated censorship of groups and individuals with opposing views, even objecting to jokes on the internet.

Universities cashed in on this largesse as well. It was popular with most liberal administrators and lucrative for academics.

The sudden shutoff of the federal spigot comes as a blow, but it does not mean the speech warriors will simply convert their censor-shields into plowshares. Many will follow in the footsteps of Nina Jankowicz, briefly the head of a now-defunct disinformation governance board. After the outcry over the board, Jankowicz quickly found her skills were in demand in Europe.

© The Hill