Ben Smith

Ben Smith

Follow @BenSmithDC

Ben Smith is a political writer and digital communications strategist based in the Washington, D.C. area. His work focuses on policy, elections, media narratives, and the intersection of culture and politics. When he’s not analyzing the news cycle, he works in digital strategy and marketing for advocacy organizations and campaigns.

Articles

Stephen Miller’s Wife Katie Targeted in Alleged Cyberstalking Case; Man Indicted
Crime

Stephen Miller’s Wife Katie Targeted in Alleged Cyberstalking Case; Man Indicted

Good Boy, Bad Cargo: CBP Dog Sniffs Out $6M in Cocaine
Border Security

Good Boy, Bad Cargo: CBP Dog Sniffs Out $6M in Cocaine

Two Louisiana Brothers Raised Money for Gaza, Then the Wrong Donor Came Calling
Hamas

Two Louisiana Brothers Raised Money for Gaza, Then the Wrong Donor Came Calling

Pritzker’s Sanctuary Illinois Let 500 Go and Now Congress Has the Receipts
Sanctuary Cities

Pritzker’s Sanctuary Illinois Let 500 Go and Now Congress Has the Receipts

America Builds It, China Gets It: Tech Boss Charged in $300M AI Smuggling Scheme
National Security

America Builds It, China Gets It: Tech Boss Charged in $300M AI Smuggling Scheme

Anthropic Keeps Selling AI Catastrophe. Its $8 Billion Loss Deserves More Attention.
Artificial Intelligence

Anthropic Keeps Selling AI Catastrophe. Its $8 Billion Loss Deserves More Attention.

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Heavy Is the Bear That Wears the Crown: Backpack Wins Fat Bear Week
Alaska

Heavy Is the Bear That Wears the Crown: Backpack Wins Fat Bear Week

Seattle’s DEI Program Gets a Rude Awakening As Court Revives White Worker’s Harassment Claims
Lawsuit

Seattle’s DEI Program Gets a Rude Awakening As Court Revives White Worker’s Harassment Claims

Promises Kept: ICE Plans 5,000 New Hires to Keep Trump’s Deportation Drive Rolling
ICE

Promises Kept: ICE Plans 5,000 New Hires to Keep Trump’s Deportation Drive Rolling

Whoops: Adam Kinzinger Bets on His Own Biden Pardon, Now Faces Reported Federal Probe
Joe Biden

Whoops: Adam Kinzinger Bets on His Own Biden Pardon, Now Faces Reported Federal Probe

FBI Hack Gets Worse: ShinyHunters Claims Medical Records of 60,000 Current and Former Personnel
Cyberattack

FBI Hack Gets Worse: ShinyHunters Claims Medical Records of 60,000 Current and Former Personnel

The Left Spent Years Blaming Men — Young Democratic Women Got the Message
Polling

The Left Spent Years Blaming Men — Young Democratic Women Got the Message

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IRS Bets on New App to Do More With Thousands Fewer Employees
IRS

IRS Bets on New App to Do More With Thousands Fewer Employees

OpenAI Pulls New AI Model Over Safety Concerns, but There's a Catch
Artificial Intelligence

OpenAI Pulls New AI Model Over Safety Concerns, but There's a Catch

AI 'Whistleblower' Said He Had No Outside Help. Then the Receipts Dropped.
Artificial Intelligence

AI 'Whistleblower' Said He Had No Outside Help. Then the Receipts Dropped.

Bishop Barron Warns Communism Is Making a Comeback in America: 'We Need That Voice Again'
Communism

Bishop Barron Warns Communism Is Making a Comeback in America: 'We Need That Voice Again'

ESG Reckoning: 22 State AGs Go After Moody's Over 'Abandoned' Climate Science
Lawsuit

ESG Reckoning: 22 State AGs Go After Moody's Over 'Abandoned' Climate Science

What a Way to Make a Legacy: America Celebrates Dolly Parton Day on 9/25
Tennessee

What a Way to Make a Legacy: America Celebrates Dolly Parton Day on 9/25

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Google Is Putting Its AI Data Centers in Space. Yes, Really.
Google

Google Is Putting Its AI Data Centers in Space. Yes, Really.

'FIGHT, FIGHT, FIGHT': Trump Pays Tribute After the Death of Butler Survivor Jim Copenhaver
Trump Assassination Attempt

'FIGHT, FIGHT, FIGHT': Trump Pays Tribute After the Death of Butler Survivor Jim Copenhaver

Anthropic Warned AI Could Kill Us All. Then Claude Found a CRISPR-Like Enzyme System in 21 Hours.
Artificial Intelligence

Anthropic Warned AI Could Kill Us All. Then Claude Found a CRISPR-Like Enzyme System in 21 Hours.

Spencer Pratt Warned LA This Would Happen. Now Nithya Raman Is Blowing Past Karen Bass.
Los Angeles

Spencer Pratt Warned LA This Would Happen. Now Nithya Raman Is Blowing Past Karen Bass.

Andy Beshear’s 2028 Buzz Meets a $692 Million Problem Back Home
Kentucky

Andy Beshear’s 2028 Buzz Meets a $692 Million Problem Back Home

CNN, MS NOW, Politico Get Their White House Passes Back After Trump-Appointed Judge Steps In
Lawsuit

CNN, MS NOW, Politico Get Their White House Passes Back After Trump-Appointed Judge Steps In

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Judge Convicted of Obstructing ICE Arrest Still Has ‘Good Standing’ Wisconsin Law License
Judges

Judge Convicted of Obstructing ICE Arrest Still Has ‘Good Standing’ Wisconsin Law License

Congress Follows the Money Behind Anti-Data Center Push — and It Leads to CCP-Linked Groups
China

Congress Follows the Money Behind Anti-Data Center Push — and It Leads to CCP-Linked Groups

Anthropic Warns AI Could Kill Us All, Then Quietly Builds a Wet Lab
Artificial Intelligence

Anthropic Warns AI Could Kill Us All, Then Quietly Builds a Wet Lab

FCC Rolls Out New Tools to Help Americans Block Robocalls and Scam Texts
Cybersecurity

FCC Rolls Out New Tools to Help Americans Block Robocalls and Scam Texts

Scientists Map the Male Fruit Fly Brain. The Sex Differences Are Hard to Miss.
Science

Scientists Map the Male Fruit Fly Brain. The Sex Differences Are Hard to Miss.

Agent in Jack Smith Arctic Frost Probe Says Prosecutors Hid Lawmakers’ Names Behind Phone Numbers
Arctic Frost

Agent in Jack Smith Arctic Frost Probe Says Prosecutors Hid Lawmakers’ Names Behind Phone Numbers

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Petro Put Colombia Behind South Africa’s Left-Wing Case Against Israel. That’s Over.
Colombia

Petro Put Colombia Behind South Africa’s Left-Wing Case Against Israel. That’s Over.

EPA Wants to Know If Abortion-Pill Compounds Are in Your Drinking Water
EPA

EPA Wants to Know If Abortion-Pill Compounds Are in Your Drinking Water

‘We Hacked the FBI’: ShinyHunters Hands Over 5,000 Employee Records to Back Up Stunning Breach Claim
FBI

‘We Hacked the FBI’: ShinyHunters Hands Over 5,000 Employee Records to Back Up Stunning Breach Claim

FBI’s Operation Blackout Seizes $15 Billion From Global Scam Networks
FBI

FBI’s Operation Blackout Seizes $15 Billion From Global Scam Networks

Weeks After Cory Mills' Campaign Imploded, His Grenade Facility Literally Exploded
Florida

Weeks After Cory Mills' Campaign Imploded, His Grenade Facility Literally Exploded

Trump Admin Pulls Mandatory Dairy Checkoff Money From ESG Programs
USDA

Trump Admin Pulls Mandatory Dairy Checkoff Money From ESG Programs

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Tim Walz's Feeding Our Future Scandal Worsens: Couple Gets 97 Months for $8.8 Million Fraud
Crime

Tim Walz's Feeding Our Future Scandal Worsens: Couple Gets 97 Months for $8.8 Million Fraud

Former CIA China Hand Cries 'Racist' Over Elaine Chao — Then His Own China Record Comes Up
China

Former CIA China Hand Cries 'Racist' Over Elaine Chao — Then His Own China Record Comes Up

'We Love You, Charlie': Trump Honors Kirk at RNC One Year After His Assassination
Charlie Kirk

'We Love You, Charlie': Trump Honors Kirk at RNC One Year After His Assassination

Brandon Gill Fires Up RNC Midterms Convention by Going Straight at Democrats' 'Woke 2.0'
Brandon Gill

Brandon Gill Fires Up RNC Midterms Convention by Going Straight at Democrats' 'Woke 2.0'

Hunter Biden Turns His Infamous Laptop Into a Meme Coin. It Loses 99 Percent of Value Minutes Later.
Hunter Biden

Hunter Biden Turns His Infamous Laptop Into a Meme Coin. It Loses 99 Percent of Value Minutes Later.

Trump Moves to End 90-to-180-Day Wait for Veterans’ Benefits
Department of Veterans Affairs

Trump Moves to End 90-to-180-Day Wait for Veterans’ Benefits

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Judge Who Attended Fani Willis Victory Event Got Private Reprimand After Misconduct Findings
Judges

Judge Who Attended Fani Willis Victory Event Got Private Reprimand After Misconduct Findings

HeeHaw and Order: Police Search Ends With Baby Donkey Dead in His Own Pasture
Law and Order

HeeHaw and Order: Police Search Ends With Baby Donkey Dead in His Own Pasture

Birth Tourism Doctor Has One Answer for Congress' CCP and MS-13 Questions: The Fifth
Brandon Gill

Birth Tourism Doctor Has One Answer for Congress' CCP and MS-13 Questions: The Fifth

Hamas Thought Its Crypto Was Safe. The FBI Just Took $560,000 and Its Fundraising Network.
Hamas

Hamas Thought Its Crypto Was Safe. The FBI Just Took $560,000 and Its Fundraising Network.

Big Four Wanted More Climate Reporting. Now State AGs Want the Receipts.
Climate Change

Big Four Wanted More Climate Reporting. Now State AGs Want the Receipts.

Now It's on the Record: House Votes to Condemn Socialism; 192 Democrats Vote No
Socialism

Now It's on the Record: House Votes to Condemn Socialism; 192 Democrats Vote No

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Katie Hobbs’ Campaign Amended Its Filing 10 Times. $1.4 Million Still Vanished.
Arizona

Katie Hobbs’ Campaign Amended Its Filing 10 Times. $1.4 Million Still Vanished.

Revised Gun Survey Delivers Some Very Bad News for Gun-Control Advocates
Firearms

Revised Gun Survey Delivers Some Very Bad News for Gun-Control Advocates