Former State Department official and investigative journalist Mike Benz says the clock is ticking for the Trump administration to go on offense against government corruption — and he’s not whispering about it. Benz, now executive director of the Foundation of Freedom Online, told the Daily Caller News Foundation that the administration needs a far more aggressive transparency push if it wants the MAGA base energized for the midterm elections.
Benz said the early months of President Donald Trump’s second term were marked by rapid action, especially during the period when Elon Musk was involved. But he admitted frustration has grown among Trump supporters over how slow things have moved on major disclosures, particularly the Epstein files. According to Benz, the base is not about to vote Democrat — but it might stay home if it feels disappointed, and that is the real danger.
He argued that Trump voters are not just looking for economic wins, but for something transformative. That means exposing wrongdoing inside agencies like USAID, the State Department, the CIA, and the FBI, along with continued disclosures tied to Russiagate, Fast and Furious, and intelligence operations under past administrations. Benz said people expected sweeping accountability, not selective transparency.
While he emphasized the importance of the Epstein files, Benz noted the reason they dominate public attention is because little else of major consequence has been released. In his view, the administration should be releasing millions of documents from multiple agencies instead of leaving the public fixated on one set of files forced out by Congress.
Benz said restoring trust in institutions requires more than asking Americans to believe again — it requires showing real reform and real accountability. He listed the CIA, FBI, State Department, Justice Department, Department of Homeland Security, and the now largely dismantled USAID as agencies that deserve full investigation. He argued the administration already has the records needed to build a complete historical record and should put them out in the open.
When asked what specific issues should be exposed, Benz pointed to former Special Counsel Jack Smith’s Arctic Frost investigation, including the FBI’s collection of phone records from Republican members of Congress. He also named the censorship-industrial complex, Russiagate, and U.S. involvement in Ukraine-related operations as areas demanding public disclosure. Beyond that, he cited alleged interference in countries such as Poland, Brazil, Hungary, Romania, France, and Spain as matters that should no longer remain hidden.
Benz said the administration has a rare opportunity to put the so-called deep state on defense and rebuild public trust through exposure and reform. If it hesitates, he warned, the moment will pass. His message to Trump’s team was simple: this is a once-in-a-generation chance, and the time to act is now — before that window closes and the country loses it.
