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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

Turkey's President Recep Tayyip Erdogan smiles as he addresses a conference on judicial reform strategy, in Ankara, Turkey, Thursday, May 30, 2019. (Presidential Press Service via AP, Pool) ** FILE **

Russian S-400 defense systems arrive in Turkey

Turkey on Friday received its first shipment of the Russian-made S-400 missile system, ignoring repeated warnings from the Trump administration and raising the very real risk of U.S. economic sanctions.

July 12, 2019
U.S. Ambassador Jackie Wolcott, in front, and Iran's Ambassador to the International Atomic Energy Agency, IAEA, Gharib Abadi, background right, wait for the start of the IAEA board of governors meeting at the International Center in Vienna, Austria, Wednesday, July 10, 2019. (AP Photo/Ronald Zak)

U.S. threatens Iran with sanctions at emergency IAEA meeting

The U.S. confronted Iran on the world stage Wednesday and threatened even more crushing economic sanctions if Tehran doesn't halt its uranium enrichment program, but the Trump administration also found itself on the defensive at home and abroad over how it has handled the escalating crisis.

July 10, 2019
This file image released by the U.S. Department of Defense Monday, June 17, 2019, and taken from a U.S. Navy helicopter, shows what the Navy says are members of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps Navy removing an unexploded limpet mine from the M/T Kokuka Courageous. A series of attacks on oil tankers near the Persian Gulf has ratcheted up tensions between the U.S. and Iran — and raised fears over the safety of one of Asia’s most vital energy trade routes, where about a fifth of the world’s oil passes through its narrowest at the Strait of Hormuz. (U.S. Department of Defense via AP, File)

Pentagon crafting plan to counter Iranian ship attacks

The Pentagon is crafting a multinational plan to stop further Iranian attacks on commercial ships in the Strait of Hormuz and elsewhere in the region, top military officials said Tuesday, detailing the international community's approach to ensure oil tankers and other vessels can move safely.

July 10, 2019
In this June 4, 2017, file photo. new Army recruits take part in a swearing-in ceremony before a baseball game between the San Diego Padres and the Colorado Rockies in San Diego. The Army has missed its recruiting goal for the first time in more than a decade. Army leaders tell The Associated Press they signed up about 70,000 new troops for the fiscal year that ends Sept. 30, 2018. (AP Photo/Gregory Bull, File)

Army misses recruiting goal in booming economy

Booming employment markets made it difficult for military recruiters to pitch men and women on a career in the armed forces, according to researchers, who say the correlation has held true for at least a half-century.

July 7, 2019
Space shuttle Endeavour clears the launch pad at Cape Canaveral, Fla., on Monday, May 16, 2011. (AP Photo/Chris O'Meara)

Pentagon seeks ‘orbital outpost’ in space

The Defense Department is seeking a "self-contained and free flying orbital outpost" to serve as a hub for experimentation and testing for the military's 21st-century space program.

July 3, 2019
In this photo released by the official website of the office of the Iranian Presidency, President Hassan Rouhani attends a meeting with the Health Ministry officials, in Tehran, Iran, Tuesday, June 25, 2019. (Iranian Presidency Office via AP) ** FILE **

Iran blows past limit on enriched uranium stockpiles, blames Trump

Iran has broken through the international limit on its stockpile of uranium in the 2015 nuclear deal and is poised to dramatically ramp up enrichment, officials in Tehran said Monday as they blamed President Trump for kick-starting a crisis and put the burden on the U.S. and Europe to find a way out.

July 1, 2019
Mark T. Esper, who became acting defense secretary two weeks ago, will have to step down while he goes through the Senate confirmation process for a permanent position, meaning the Pentagon will have a fourth leader since the end of December. (Associated Press/File)

Mark Esper, acting defense secretary, to make way for Pentagon’s fourth leader in six months

President Trump's decision to slow-walk the installation of a permanent defense secretary, coupled with an obscure federal staffing law, has left the Pentagon poised to get its fourth leader in just the past six months -- all while military tensions between the U.S. and Iran remain at a boiling point and a massive defense policy bill is making its way through Congress.

June 30, 2019
Vice President Mike Pence speaks following a tour on the USNS Comfort, Tuesday, June 18, 2019, in Miami. The hospital ship is scheduled to embark on a five-month medical assistance mission to Latin America and the Caribbean, including several countries struggling to absorb migrants from crisis-wracked Venezuela. (AP Photo/Lynne Sladky)

Mike Pence, John Bolton issue Iran a warning after Trump calls of airstrikes

Top White House officials on Sunday warned that Iran should not mistake U.S. discretion for weakness after President Trump called off airstrikes last week in retaliation for Tehran's downing of an American drone, and officials confirmed over the weekend that the Pentagon already struck back with cyberattacks on Iranian military systems.

June 23, 2019
In this May 11, 2017 file photo, Sen. Tom Cotton, R-Ark., speaks during a Senate Intelligence Committee hearing, on Capitol Hill in Washington. Cotton's office says he's focused is on serving the people of Arkansas in the Senate. That's after reports that he might be picked to run the CIA in a major shake-up of President Donald Trump's national security team. (AP Photo/Jacquelyn Martin)

Tom Cotton: Iran may escalate, attack U.S. ships, planes

Iran's next step may be to attack a manned U.S. plane or American ships in the Middle East, Sen. Tom Cotton warned Sunday, urging the Trump administration to send a strong message to Tehran or risk further escalation.

June 23, 2019
President Donald Trump, with first lady Melania Trump, gives a thumbs up as the walk to Air Force One, as they depart Sunday, June 2, 2019, at Andrews Air Force Base, Md. Trump is going to London, France and Ireland. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon)

U.S. cyberattack strikes Iran military computers

The U.S. launched a sweeping cyberattack against the Iranian military last week in direct response to Iran's downing of an American surveillance drone, U.S. officials told the Associated Press over the weekend, confirming that President Trump personally approved the retaliatory measures.

June 23, 2019