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Ben Wolfgang

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

U.S., Taliban reach deal for 7-day reduction in violence

The U.S. appears on the verge of finally securing a peace agreement in Afghanistan, top Trump administration officials said Thursday, as they announced a short-term pact with the Taliban that calls for a seven-day reduction in violence across the country to clear the way for intensive direct talks.

February 13, 2020

Turkey, Syria edge closer to all-out war in disputed Idlib province

Turkey and Syria moved closer to all-out war Tuesday in Syria's Idlib province, as carefully crafted international cease-fire agreements crumbled and heavy fighting between the two regional foes sparked a massive humanitarian crisis.

February 11, 2020

Pentagon budget to fund revamped Air Force One with new paint job

President Trump's fiscal year 2021 budget request sets aside more than $800 million for a revamped Air Force One, complete with a new red, white and blue paint job.

February 11, 2020

More than 100 U.S. troops suffered brain injuries in Iranian attack, Pentagon says

The number of U.S. troops who suffered brain injuries during a Jan. 8 Iranian attack on an American military base in Iraq has topped 100, the Pentagon said Monday night.

February 10, 2020

Amazon seeks to depose Donald Trump in Pentagon war cloud lawsuit

Amazon Web Services wants to depose President Trump and other top administration officials in its lawsuit over the Pentagon's giant cloud computing contract, according to court documents made public Monday, raising the stakes in a case that is shaping up to be a major legal headache for the White House.

February 10, 2020

Iraq turns to China ‘Belt and Road,’ boosting Beijing clout in Middle East

China's path to economic dominance in the 21st century runs directly through the Middle East, with Beijing banking on forging multibillion-dollar partnerships with Iraq, Pakistan and even war-torn Syria to provide fuel in its quest to supplant the U.S. as the world's top power.

February 9, 2020

With ‘no military solution’ in sight, U.S. forced to talk peace with Taliban despite ongoing attacks

The two sides have reached a crucial moment -- despite continued Taliban attacks and a spike in American strikes against the radical Islamist movement's top targets -- to solidify a cease-fire agreement that could wind down two decades of conflict and bring to a close the longest war in U.S. history.

February 8, 2020

Red alert, Russia: Pentagon arms Navy submarines with tactical nuclear weapons

The Pentagon on this week announced the deployment of its first new nuclear weapon in decades and in the process issued a clear warning to Moscow, a move critics say represents a return to Cold War-era brinkmanship that makes the prospect of a deadly nuclear miscalculation far more likely.

February 8, 2020

Defense industry ‘report card’ finds that U.S. lags on cybersecurity

The vaunted American military-industrial machine is in decline and is quickly losing ground to China, defense leaders said Wednesday in a stunning new self-examination that lays out a host of shortcomings and warns of major ramifications for U.S. national security.

February 5, 2020

Pentagon deploys new submarine-launched nuclear weapon

The Pentagon on Tuesday announced the deployment of its first new nuclear weapon in decades and in the process issued a clear warning to Moscow, a move critics say represents a return to Cold War-era brinkmanship that makes the prospect of a deadly nuclear miscalculation far more likely.

February 4, 2020

Asad Khan, Pakistan envoy, says U.S., Taliban forced to negotiate

NEWSMAKER INTERVIEW: America has exhausted all of its military options in Afghanistan and is left with little choice but to forge ahead in peace talks with the Taliban, Pakistani Ambassador to the U.S. Asad M. Khan said Monday, underscoring the high stakes of grueling negotiations.

February 3, 2020

London stabbings: Police shoot man in ‘terrorism-related incident’

London police shot and killed a man in the city's Streatham section after a "terrorist-related" stabbing that left two people wounded, officials said Sunday.

February 2, 2020

Mike Pompeo: Do business with U.S., not China

Secretary of State Mike Pompeo on Sunday warned nations against doing business with Chinese companies, laying out a series of concerns -- from a lack of transparency to weak environmental protections -- that come along with any deals with Beijing.

February 2, 2020

Iran attack: 14 more U.S. troops suffered brain injuries, Pentagon says

For the second time this week, the Defense Department on Thursday night revised the number of U.S. troops who suffered traumatic brain injuries during a Jan. 8 Iranian rocket attack on an American military base.

January 30, 2020

Reports of sexual assault at military academies jump 32%, Pentagon says

The number of reported sexual assault cases at U.S. military academies jumped by 32% last academic year, military officials said Thursday in a sweeping new report.

January 30, 2020

Mark Esper U.S. troop reduction plan in Africa blasted as terror attacks increase

The Pentagon is facing a firestorm of opposition to plans to cut troop levels in Africa. Regional analysts and military insiders from Capitol Hill to the capitals of Europe are warning that any reductions could fuel a resurgent terrorist goal of making mincemeat out of the continent.

January 29, 2020

Pentagon pours millions into anti-hypersonics program to counter Russia

The Pentagon is pouring millions of dollars into a new program to counter Russian hypersonic weapons as the military races to keep pace with U.S. foes.

January 29, 2020

50 U.S. troops suffered traumatic brain injuries in Iran attack, Pentagon now says

The Pentagon on Tuesday night again revised the number of troops who suffered traumatic brain injuries during a Jan. 8 Iranian rocket attack in Iraq, now saying that 50 service members were affected.

January 28, 2020

Eddie Gallagher, retired Navy SEAL, vows to clear name: ‘The truth is coming’

Retired Navy SEAL Edward Gallagher vowed that "the truth is coming" and cast some of his former platoon members as "cowards" in a dramatic video posted to social media sites late Monday, catapulting his saga -- and President Trump's controversial pardon -- back into the national spotlight.