Mike Benz

Anti-censorship advocate, former Trump State Department official

Mike Benz is a prominent figure in the realms of technology policy and digital freedom advocacy, known for his tenure as a U.S. State Department official during the Trump administration and his subsequent work in promoting an open internet. His insights into digital freedom have garnered significant attention, with his work being cited in congressional hearings and endorsed by high-profile figures, including Elon Musk. He has been a prominent critic of what he describes as the "censorship industrial complex," expressing concerns about government overreach in internet regulation and advocating for the restoration of what he terms the "golden age of the internet."

Today, Mike works as Executive Director of the Foundation For Freedom Online (FFO), a free speech watchdog organisation committed to restoring and protecting the principles of an open internet.

Why did we invite him on?

When Trump was elected last November, it looked like the US government was entering a new epoch of transparency. With pledges to diclose the Kennedy files, the Epstein case and more, the world waited with baited breath for information that had been kept hidden from them, some of it for over half a century. Earlier this year, we invited Mike Benz on to talk about it and explain what we can expect.

Today, that feels like a bygone age. Trump’s DOJ has closed the case on Epstein; not only are we left without any meaningful revelations, but any hope of more in the future has been thoroughly dashed.

And MAGA’s not having it. For the first time, the movement might be moving away from Trump. And who can blame them? We rarely entertain conspiracy theories, but it’s impossible to deny how suspicious this one looks.

But what are we missing? We knew Mike was the man to ask.

What did we learn?

”There’s a revolution in the MAGA base. People feel like there are insufficient answers.”

That’s putting it mildly. For as much as it’s made out that Trump is a cult leader with a base of sycophants, the two have butted heads frequently since his second tenure back. Whether it was the H1B visas debacle, the Iran conflict, former supporters have found opportunities to get off the Trump train before. This is different.

No other story animated the MAGA coalition like the scale and strangeness of the Epstein case, and Trump rode that wave of energy to the White House. Pledges were made and promises were broken. The public can tell something isn’t right, but how much do they still not know?