Mike Benz is the Executive Director of the Foundation for Freedom Online, a non-profit watchdog group dedicated to protecting digital liberties and restoring the free and open Internet. He previously served as the Deputy Assistant Secretary for International Communications and Information Technology at the US State Department during the Trump administration, where he formulated US policy on Internet diplomacy issues and interfaced with private industry. Benz has been a vocal critic of technological government overreach, most recently in his critiques of USAID and his advocacy against online censorship. He actively brings attention to people and organizations involved in controlling speech on social media. Prior to his role at the State Department, Benz was a White House speechwriter for President Trump and advised on technology policy. Prior to his public sector work, he practiced business law as an attorney in New York, representing technology companies and financial firms. Join this channel to get access to perks: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCkoujZQZatbqy4KGcgjpVxQ/join Shawn Ryan Show Links SUBSCRIBE: http://www.youtube.com/@ShawnRyanShow Sign up: https://shawnryanshow.com/pages/newsletter Support the Show: https://www.patreon.com/VigilanceElite Download Free Content: https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1lF-8_5jwRc5eAhzDkqqCOp-6yvd05vAw?usp=sharing Listen on Apple: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/shawn-ryan-show/id1492492083 Listen on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/5eodRZd3qR9VT1ip1wI7xQ?si=59f9d106e56a4509 Follow on TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@shawnryanshow Follow on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/shawnryanshow/ Follow on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/shawnryanshow/ Follow on X: https://twitter.com/ShawnRyanShow SRS Podcast Playlist: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL4pqo9Uoh0WuUKxw0BmaK1yrg9Kd7E4lk #vigilanceelite #shawnryanshow Mike Benz Links: Website - https://foundationforfreedomonline.com/ YouTube - https://www.youtube.com/@MikeBenzCyberOfficial Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/mikebenzcyber/ X - https://x.com/MikeBenzCyber Shawn Ryan Show Sponsors: https://ROKA.com | Use Code SRS https://lumen.me/srs https://hexclad.com/srs http://babbel.com/srs https://www.bubsnaturals.com/ | Use Code SHAWN https://patriotmobile.com/srs 00:00 Introduction 02:34 Foreign Policy Establishment and Domestic Impact 07:02 The USAID Shutdown 19:21 Romanian Election Interference and USAID's Influence 37:33 Global Influence and Media Manipulation 49:17 USAID's Extensive Reach 51:40 Understanding “The Blob”: U.S. Foreign Policy Mechanisms 52:28 The Role of USAID in U.S. Foreign Policy 58:05 USAID's Controversial Operations and Scandals 01:05:46 USAID's Covert Actions in Cuba 01:10:37 The Role of USAID in Modern Political Warfare 01:19:02 The Impact of USAID on Global Media and Elections 01:26:16 Reforming USAID: Challenges and Proposals 01:48:25 Funding Controversies and the Wuhan Lab 01:51:45 Universities as State Arms 01:53:04 NGOs and Dark Money Networks 01:56:19 Manipulating Immigration Policies 01:58:34 Samantha Power and Financial Gains 02:16:38 USAID's Impact on Legacy Media 02:33:37 Reforming USAID and Future Directions