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Ben Watson

@benwatson

senior multimedia editor at Defense One // Newsletter: The D Brief // Podcast: Defense One Radio // Signal: watson.90 // Likes = bookmarks, etc.

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Latest posts by Ben Watson @benwatson

It's easy to look at this and say: These people just need to choose reliable sources.

But: How should they determine what's reliable? Teachers and professors are scared to touch anything that seems political, including helping students distinguish reliable from unreliable sources of news. 1/

03.11.2025 14:38 πŸ‘ 31 πŸ” 5 πŸ’¬ 5 πŸ“Œ 0
White words on a black background read:

50+ 
Immigration agents have the authority to detain whom they reasonably suspect are in the country illegally. We found more than 50 Americans who were held after agents questioned their citizenship. They were almost all Latino.

~130
Agents also can arrest citizens who allegedly interfered with or assaulted officers. We compiled cases of about 130 Americans, including a dozen elected officials, accused of assaulting or impeding officers. 

~20
Among the citizens detained are nearly 20 children, including two with cancer.

White words on a black background read: 50+ Immigration agents have the authority to detain whom they reasonably suspect are in the country illegally. We found more than 50 Americans who were held after agents questioned their citizenship. They were almost all Latino. ~130 Agents also can arrest citizens who allegedly interfered with or assaulted officers. We compiled cases of about 130 Americans, including a dozen elected officials, accused of assaulting or impeding officers. ~20 Among the citizens detained are nearly 20 children, including two with cancer.

Hi, I'm the ProPublica reporter who's been tracking an unusual stat: U.S. citizens grabbed by immigration agents.

I did it because the government isn’t.

This is what I found.

18.10.2025 14:11 πŸ‘ 17275 πŸ” 8051 πŸ’¬ 302 πŸ“Œ 242
Post from WH about Chicago "in chaos," showing scene from another state.

Post from WH about Chicago "in chaos," showing scene from another state.

A terrific AFP fact check uses reverse image searches to expose how a White House video took scenes from Florida, Texas, South Carolina and Nebraska and lied that they showed "Chicago is in chaos."
factcheck.afp.com/doc.afp.com....

16.10.2025 14:07 πŸ‘ 13252 πŸ” 6497 πŸ’¬ 372 πŸ“Œ 460
Preview
ICE impersonator incidents rise during Trump’s second term | CNN A CNN review has found two dozen incidents of people posing as ICE officers in 2025 – more incidents than during the prior four presidential terms combined.

A CNN review has found two dozen incidents of people posing as ICE officers in 2025 – more incidents than during the prior four presidential terms combined.

02.10.2025 11:41 πŸ‘ 780 πŸ” 456 πŸ’¬ 57 πŸ“Œ 38

Overheard at the Pentagon: β€œI’ve got my five points ready. I’ve been a productive member of society.”

06.03.2025 18:52 πŸ‘ 4 πŸ” 0 πŸ’¬ 0 πŸ“Œ 1

The struggle over democracy is not just one among many issues. It’s an overarching concern that transcends and permeates all areas of public policy. It sets the conditions for how we determine who belongs, whose sensibilities and rights count, how we deal with all the collective action challenges.

31.01.2025 14:41 πŸ‘ 49 πŸ” 8 πŸ’¬ 2 πŸ“Œ 1

Source: "Is This Democracy" podcast, episode 37 // Jan 24, 2025
podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/3...

29.01.2025 16:24 πŸ‘ 1 πŸ” 0 πŸ’¬ 0 πŸ“Œ 0

β€œThat’s not like the be all end all explanation for everything that’s going on," @thomaszimmer.bsky.social, Georgetown University historian, replied. "But I think that’s a goodβ€”if you put that at the center of your interpretation of what’s going on, I think you’re on the right track,” he said.

29.01.2025 16:24 πŸ‘ 2 πŸ” 0 πŸ’¬ 1 πŸ“Œ 0
Post image

Regarding Trump's desire to end birthright citizenship by reinterpreting the U.S. Constitution's 14th Amendment, here's an interesting note of contrast by @lilymasonphd.bsky.social, political scientist at Johns Hopkins University:

29.01.2025 16:24 πŸ‘ 101 πŸ” 27 πŸ’¬ 3 πŸ“Œ 0
Preview
Defense One Radio, Ep. 170: Year in review We listen back on more than a dozen guests from conversations across 2024.

A fascinating crash course in national security in 2024, from @defenseone.bsky.social and @benwatson.bsky.social. www.defenseone.com/ideas/2024/1...

30.12.2024 14:50 πŸ‘ 4 πŸ” 3 πŸ’¬ 1 πŸ“Œ 0

Time will tell how far Trump can take his campaign promise to launch the β€œlargest deportation operation in American history." After all, he campaigned on building a border wall in 2016 and that was never completed. But Team Trump, of course, has more experience and guidance this time around.

04.12.2024 17:38 πŸ‘ 0 πŸ” 0 πŸ’¬ 0 πŸ“Œ 0

Why bring it up: Team Trump 2.0 is reportedly preparing for two main objectives in the year ahead.
β€’Β changes to border security/immigration policy
β€’ and a return of Trump 1.0 tax cuts

www.semafor.com/article/12/0...

04.12.2024 17:38 πŸ‘ 0 πŸ” 0 πŸ’¬ 1 πŸ“Œ 0

The claim purports to reveal hypocrisyβ€”a powerful allegation, in this case seeking permission by precedentβ€”when (to me) it seems closer to whataboutism and a kind of projection, if not the classic political deception/lies.

04.12.2024 17:38 πŸ‘ 0 πŸ” 0 πŸ’¬ 1 πŸ“Œ 0
Preview
DeSantis wrong: Migrants not deported on Martha's Vineyard As he moves toward a potential bid for president, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis has highlighted his efforts to crack down on

It's fairly easy to check into this and discover the claim is not true.

See here, e.g.
β€’ www.politifact.com/factchecks/2...
β€’ www.politifact.com/factchecks/2...
β€’ www.npr.org/2022/09/16/1...

04.12.2024 17:38 πŸ‘ 0 πŸ” 0 πŸ’¬ 1 πŸ“Œ 0

πŸŽ™οΈOur first author interview of 2024 just posted Friday: www.defenseone.com/threats/2024...

It's a revealing conversation about the recent history of anti-government, far-right militancy in America, with @cfr.org's Bruce Hoffman and Jacob Ware.

Check out their new book→ www.cfr.org/book/god-gun...

06.02.2024 19:39 πŸ‘ 3 πŸ” 1 πŸ’¬ 0 πŸ“Œ 0