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

Trump Takes Big Bend Border Wall Fight to Supreme Court
Supreme Court

Trump Takes Big Bend Border Wall Fight to Supreme Court

Pentagon Patched the Breach, Now Two Marines Want Answers
Cybersecurity

Pentagon Patched the Breach, Now Two Marines Want Answers

The Day the Internet Was Almost Hacked VIP
Cyberattack

The Day the Internet Was Almost Hacked

Meta Gets a $25 Billion Bill. New Mexico Wanted More.
Meta

Meta Gets a $25 Billion Bill. New Mexico Wanted More.

23 State Financial Officers Push to Protect Trump's Kids' Accounts From Wall Street's ESG Agenda EXCLUSIVE
IRS

23 State Financial Officers Push to Protect Trump's Kids' Accounts From Wall Street's ESG Agenda

COVID Was Just the Beginning: New Docs Reveal Biden's Bigger Censorship Plans
Censorship

COVID Was Just the Beginning: New Docs Reveal Biden's Bigger Censorship Plans

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DeepSeek Gets the Boot As Trump Administration Cracks Down on Chinese AI
National Security

DeepSeek Gets the Boot As Trump Administration Cracks Down on Chinese AI

Holy Flock: GOP Congressman Has Had Enough of Government Tracking Americans
Congress

Holy Flock: GOP Congressman Has Had Enough of Government Tracking Americans

Trump Has a Few Things to Say About James Talarico, and Ken Paxton Will Probably Enjoy Them
Ken Paxton

Trump Has a Few Things to Say About James Talarico, and Ken Paxton Will Probably Enjoy Them

Elissa Slotkin's Warning to Future Trump Staffers: You Could Face Prosecution
Elissa Slotkin

Elissa Slotkin's Warning to Future Trump Staffers: You Could Face Prosecution

Elon Musk Drops $158 Million Into Texas Senate Race, Giving Ken Paxton a Major Boost
Ken Paxton

Elon Musk Drops $158 Million Into Texas Senate Race, Giving Ken Paxton a Major Boost

Multiple Dead, Injured After Major Fire at Canadian Military Base
Military

Multiple Dead, Injured After Major Fire at Canadian Military Base

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A Speeding Pickup, 700 Pounds of Drugs, and One Very Good Police Dog
Fentanyl

A Speeding Pickup, 700 Pounds of Drugs, and One Very Good Police Dog

Obama Gets His $1 Billion Monument. Contractors Are Still Waiting to Get Paid.
Barack Obama

Obama Gets His $1 Billion Monument. Contractors Are Still Waiting to Get Paid.

DHS Goes After Voter Fraud, Left-Wing Groups Go to Court
DHS

DHS Goes After Voter Fraud, Left-Wing Groups Go to Court

Federal Court Draws a Line on Gun Rights, and DOJ May Not Like Where It Lands
Second Amendment

Federal Court Draws a Line on Gun Rights, and DOJ May Not Like Where It Lands

NPR Affiliate Sponsored an Antifa-Supporting Event, Then Suddenly Remembered Its Ethics Code
Domestic Terrorism

NPR Affiliate Sponsored an Antifa-Supporting Event, Then Suddenly Remembered Its Ethics Code

Climate Alarmism Comes Back to Bite Wall Street As States Challenge ESG Ratings
Climate Change

Climate Alarmism Comes Back to Bite Wall Street As States Challenge ESG Ratings

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That Cheap Temu Order Could Come With a Price Americans Never Agreed to Pay
Lawsuit

That Cheap Temu Order Could Come With a Price Americans Never Agreed to Pay

Abolishing ICE Wasn't Enough: Democrat Now Wants to Dismantle DHS and Border Patrol
DHS

Abolishing ICE Wasn't Enough: Democrat Now Wants to Dismantle DHS and Border Patrol

NPR’s Katherine Maher Called the First Amendment a ‘Challenge’ — Now Comes the Trophy
First Amendment

NPR’s Katherine Maher Called the First Amendment a ‘Challenge’ — Now Comes the Trophy

Europe Has Been Cashing in on American Tech. Now Trump Could Turn the Tables
Tariffs

Europe Has Been Cashing in on American Tech. Now Trump Could Turn the Tables

Cleanup in Aisle IT: Hackers Spoil the Food at French Supermarkets
Cyberattack

Cleanup in Aisle IT: Hackers Spoil the Food at French Supermarkets

Secret Service Missed a Glock at Trump’s Golf Club. Its Owner Had to Tell Them.
National Security

Secret Service Missed a Glock at Trump’s Golf Club. Its Owner Had to Tell Them.

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Trump Wants Healthcare’s Hidden Prices Exposed. Now Follow the Money.
Healthcare

Trump Wants Healthcare’s Hidden Prices Exposed. Now Follow the Money.

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

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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.

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

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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

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

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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

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

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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

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