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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. 15, 2019, photo, U.S. Navy Capt. Brett Crozier, then commanding officer of the aircraft carrier USS Theodore Roosevelt (CVN 71), addresses the crew during an all-hands call on the ship's flight deck while conducting routine operations in the Eastern Pacific Ocean. (U.S. Navy Photo by Mass Communication Specialist 3rd Class Nicholas Huynh via AP) ** FILE **

Pentagon watchdog to investigate Navy’s handling of coronavirus outbreak

The Pentagon's inspector general will launch a review of the Navy's handling of the COVID-19 outbreak, the watchdog announced Monday, with a focus on whether Navy leaders took strong enough action to stop the spread of the virus on ships and whether their plan was effectively implemented across the U.S. fleet.

May 12, 2020

UFO enthusiasts call on Trump to reveal secrets after video release

UFO activists find themselves over the moon with President Trump, whose unexpected decision last week to release stunning footage showing U.S. military close encounters with unexplained objects in the sky has created an unprecedented wave of momentum that could finally break an information dam that has held for decades.

May 5, 2020
The Duke-class frigate HMS Kent (F78) takes part in a replenishment-at-sea with Supply-class fast combat support ship USNS Supply (T-AOE-6) whilst on exercise with the U.S. Navy in the Arctic Circle. The exercises have been taking place in the Arctic Circle where, with added wind chill, the temperatures plummeted to a jarring minus 10 degrees centigrade. HMS Kent has been conducting maritime patrol duties in and around the U.K. before she met with the U.S. task group and will continue the exercises with her closet allies before she will return to her home port to 'thaw out' and have essential maintenance carried out.

Navy’s sail-through in Arctic sends message to Russia

Trailed by a Russian flotilla, four U.S. Navy ships and a British vessel sailed into the frigid Arctic waters of the Barents Sea on Monday, marking the first such operation since the Cold War and shining a fresh spotlight on a rapidly growing power struggle at the top of the world.

May 4, 2020
In this Friday, May 1, 2020, photo provided by the North Korean government, North Korean leader Kim Jong-un, center, visits a fertilizer factory in South Pyongan, near Pyongyang, North Korea. Kim made his first public appearance in 20 days as he celebrated the completion of the fertilizer factory, state media said Saturday, May 2, 2020, ending an absence that had triggered global rumors that he may be seriously ill. Independent journalists were not given access to cover the event depicted in this image distributed by the North Korean government. The content of this image is as provided and cannot be independently verified. Korean language watermark on image as provided by source reads: "KCNA" which is the abbreviation for Korean Central News Agency. (Korean Central News Agency/Korea News Service via AP)

North Korea, South Korea exchange gunfire after Kim Jong-un reemerges

North and South Korean military forces traded gunfire Sunday in what U.S. officials believe started with an "accidental" shot from the northern side of the border, increasing tensions between the two nations just as reclusive North Korean leader Kim Jong-un emerged from a mysterious three-week absence from the world stage.

May 3, 2020
President Donald Trump listens during a meeting about the coronavirus response with Gov. Phil Murphy, D-N.J., in the Oval Office of the White House, Thursday, April 30, 2020, in Washington. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci)

‘Hell of a video,’ Trump says of Navy UFO footage

President Trump this week said Pentagon footage of unidentified flying objects is "a hell of a video," though he also questioned if it was "real" despite its release through official military channels.

April 30, 2020
Army cadets participate in Parade Day at the U.S. Military Academy at West Point, N.Y., May 22, 2019. (AP Photo/Mark Lennihan) ** FILE **

West Point cadets ‘have to come back’ for graduation, Army says

The 1,000 cadets set to graduate from the U.S. Military Academy at West Point "have to come back" to the complex to complete medical evaluations and retrieve their belongings, military officials said Thursday, though they ducked questions on whether any cadet who chooses not to return over fears of exposure to COVID-19 will face discipline.

April 30, 2020
Gas prices are posted as .999 for regular and 1.37 for premium at a Sam's Club Tuesday, April 21, 2020, in Oklahoma City, as oil prices continue to drop, because very few people are flying or driving, and factories have shut amid widespread stay-at-home orders due to COVID-19. The new coronavirus causes mild or moderate symptoms for most people, but for some, especially older adults and people with existing health problems, it can cause more severe illness or death. (AP Photo/Sue Ogrocki)

Cheap oil benefits muted by coronavirus economic shutdown

Global economic shutdowns and rock-bottom oil prices have created a perfect storm around the world that has left even the usual beneficiaries of plummeting energy markets -- major importers, developing nations, energy-using industries, the travel industry and consumers -- struggling to reap any rewards.

April 21, 2020
In this June 19, 2017, file photo, President Donald Trump, from left, and Satya Nadella, chief executive officer of Microsoft, listen as Jeff Bezos, chief executive officer of Amazon, speaks during an American Technology Council roundtable in the State Dining Room of the White House in Washington. The Pentagon says new Secretary of Defense Mike Esper is reviewing the bid process for the military's $10 billion cloud-computing contract. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon, File)

Amazon vows to fight Trump administration despite watchdog report on defense contract

President Trump and the Pentagon scored a big victory this week when a watchdog report found Defense Department officials followed the law in awarding a massive military cloud computing contract to Microsoft -- but the battle is far from over as rival Amazon and other critics train their fire at the White House and charge that the president's use of executive privilege raises even more questions.

April 16, 2020
The sun sets behind an idle pump jack near Karnes City, Texas, Wednesday, April 8, 2020. Demand for oil continues to fall due to the new coronavirus outbreak. (AP Photo/Eric Gay)

Trump claims credit after Russia-Saudi Arabia oil deal

President Trump took a victory lap as global oil prices ticked up slightly Monday, a day after his personal diplomacy helped nail down a deal among Russia, Saudi Arabia and other major players to cut production in response to an unprecedented collapse in demand because of the COVID-19 pandemic.

April 13, 2020