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Ben Wolfgang

Ben Wolfgang

bwolfgang@washingtontimes.com

Ben Wolfgang is a national security correspondent at The Washington Times, a senior member of its Threat Status team, and the host and producer of the award-winning Threat Status Podcast. Ben covers national security, foreign policy, military affairs, the defense industry and the rapidly evolving landscape of military technology.
A Pennsylvania native, he joined The Washington Times in 2011 after serving as a political reporter at The Republican-Herald in Pottsville, Pa. Over the course of his career, Ben has covered the White House, Congress, and four presidential campaigns.
His reporting has earned recognition from some of journalism's most respected organizations, including the Virginia Press Association and the Society of Professional Journalists' Washington, D.C. Chapter, among other honors.
Ben has interviewed heads of state, chairmen of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, senior military commanders, cabinet secretaries, senior government officials, and the CEOs of many of the nation's largest and most influential defense companies.
Ben is a frequent guest on broadcast media, with appearances on C-SPAN, the Sirius XM POTUS channel, and other outlets.
He can be reached at bwolfgang@washingtontimes.com.

Articles by Ben Wolfgang

In this Nov. 28, 2019, file photo, President Donald Trump, center, with Afghan President Ashraf Ghani and Joint Chiefs Chairman Gen. Mark Milley, behind him at right, addresses members of the military during a surprise Thanksgiving Day visit at Bagram Air Field, Afghanistan. During his election campaign four years ago, Trump vowed to bring all troops home from endless wars." In recent months, he's only increased the pressure, working to fulfill his campaign promise and get forces home before Election Day. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon, File)

Trump fights for military vote despite early missteps

The Trump campaign is counting on an aggressive ground game to help win over active-duty troops and veterans during the home stretch of the White House race, but with little room for error, Republican insiders fear a series of missteps and miscalculations may swing the highly coveted and Republican-leaning demographic toward Democratic rival Joseph R. Biden.

September 24, 2020
An armed member of the militant group al-Shabaab attends a rally on the outskirts of Mogadishu, Somalia, in this Monday, Feb. 13, 2012, photo. (AP Photo) **FILE**

Al-Shabab negotiations eyed as way to end Somalia fighting

Unprecedented diplomacy gave the Trump administration a path out of Afghanistan, and questions have been raised about whether a similar playbook could work for the seemingly endless U.S. military mission in Somalia.

September 22, 2020
President Donald Trump listens as Secretary of State Mike Pompeo speaks about the coronavirus in the James Brady Press Briefing Room of the White House, Wednesday, April 8, 2020, in Washington. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon) ** FILE **

U.S. bid to reimpose Iran sanctions opposed by allies, foes

Allies and foes alike rejected the Trump administration's effort over the weekend to reimpose global economic sanctions on Iran, setting up a high-stakes showdown at the United Nations that could again leave Washington abandoned on the world stage.

September 20, 2020
In this Oct. 28, 2019, photo, U.S. forces patrol Syrian oil fields, in eastern Syria. (AP Photo/Baderkhan Ahmad) **FILE**

U.S. beefs up defenses in Syria after encounter with Russians

The Pentagon said Friday it has sent Bradley Fighting Vehicles to Syria, deployed new radar systems and increased the number of fighter jet patrols to "ensure the protection of our forces" -- a clear message to Moscow just weeks after a run-in between American and Russian troops.

September 18, 2020
In this picture released by the official website of the office of the Iranian supreme leader, Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei speaks during a video conference with education ministry officials, in Tehran, Iran, Tuesday, Sept. 1, 2020. Iran's supreme leader called the United Arab Emirates' recognition of Israel "treason that will not last for long." (Office of the Iranian Supreme Leader via AP)

Israel-Arab diplomatic deal threatens to isolate Iran

Iranian officials fumed as President Trump presided over the signing of a major Israel-Arab diplomatic deal at the White House on Tuesday, reflecting the widespread belief that Tehran ultimately may be the biggest loser of the historic breakthrough.

September 15, 2020
Alaskans comb the beach along the Bering Sea to clean up debris. The exact origin of the garbage that washed up this summer is unclear, but local leaders said it was unlike anything they had seen before. (Associated Press)

Russia blamed for trash washing up on Alaska shores

Tribal leaders and federal agencies have reported a major rise this summer in the amount of plastics and other garbage washing ashore in the Bering Strait region of Alaska, much of it bearing Russian-language labels.

September 14, 2020
Taliban negotiator Abbas Stanikzai, fifth right, with his delegation attend the opening session of the peace talks between the Afghan government and the Taliban in Doha, Qatar, Saturday, Sept. 12, 2020. (AP Photo/Hussein Sayed)  **FILE**

Afghans, Taliban engage in peace talks amid violence

The Taliban and U.S.-backed Afghan government began peace negotiations this weekend in what looks to be a once-in-a-generation opportunity to end decades of war, but another wave of violence across the country threatened to overshadow the historic meeting.

September 13, 2020
Taliban co-founder Mullah Abdul Ghani Baradar speaks, bottom right, talks at the opening session of the peace talks between the Afghan government and the Taliban in Doha, Qatar, Saturday, Sept. 12, 2020. (AP Photo/Hussein Sayed)

Afghanistan peace talks marred by gunfights, IEDs

Long-awaited "inter-Afghan" peace talks between the Taliban and the U.S.-backed government in Kabul began this weekend, but continued violence across Afghanistan threatened to overshadow the historic gathering.

September 13, 2020
President Donald Trump salutes as he arrives on Marine One on the South Lawn of the White House in Washington, Wednesday, Aug. 30, 2017, as he returns from Springfield, Mo. (AP Photo/Carolyn Kaster)

Donald Trump Iraq, Afghanistan troop drawdown fulfills promise, fuels criticism

President Trump checked off a key campaign promise Wednesday with a major drawdown of U.S. troops in Iraq and an even greater reduction in Afghanistan coming soon, but skeptics say the moves reflect U.S. political imperatives and not the chaos and violence both countries are likely to face down the road.

September 9, 2020