A non-partisan network of U.S. diplomats and foreign affairs professionals committed to the national interest, American sovereignty, and secure borders.
Washington, D.C.
Joined July 2025
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VIDEO: Introducing The Ben Franklin Fellowship -- Diplomacy Rooted in the Republic. In Service to America.
Nearly 250 years after Benjamin Franklin became America’s first diplomat, his legacy continues through The Ben Franklin Fellowship. This five-minute video overview introduces BFF — a nonprofit, nonpartisan community of current and former State Department professionals and foreign affairs practitioners committed to advancing the U.S. national interest and restoring realism in American diplomacy.
Premiered at the Second Annual Ben Franklin Reception & Dinner at The Mayflower Hotel in Washington, D.C., on January 16, 2026, this video features remarks and interview segments with BFF Co-Founders Phillip Linderman, Matt Boyse, and Simon Hankinson outlining the vision behind the organization. Through its Guiding Foreign Policy Principles, specialized working groups, and the JUNTO Project, BFF is building a durable network dedicated to principled, accountable, and effective diplomacy for the next generation. Watch here:
youtube.com/watch?v=8wTGrtcA…
#AmericanDiplomacy #ForeignPolicy #StateDepartment #NationalInterest #PublicPolicy #Diplomacy #Leadership #JUNTO
BenFranklinFellowship retweeted
The Department of State’s Birth Tourism Prevention Task Force has now revoked more than 6,000 visas from foreigners who engaged in or facilitated birth tourism.
We are identifying and holding accountable everyone involved in this illicit practice.
🌎🇺🇸 NEW! FOREIGN AFFAIRS FIFTEEN — EP. 25
BFF Fellows Dr. @JohnHulsman1 & @WatchfulWaiter1 Simon “Captain Si” Hankinson are back! This week: the planned sinking of the SS United States, Senegal's migrant tragedy, Houthis targeting Saudi Arabia, France's Mélenchon, U.S. midterm foreign-policy fallout & New Zealand's elections, Paraguay's banking & more!
🎥 WATCH: youtube.com/watch?v=ceCuNEF8…
#ForeignAffairsFifteen #Geopolitics #ForeignPolicy
BenFranklinFellowship retweeted
This Veterans Day, join us in honoring the patriotic men and women who answered the call to serve in defense of the greatest nation the world has ever known.
📷 THE BEN FRANKLIN FELLOWSHIP PROUDLY HELPING LEAD THE WAY AT THE FORUM 2026!
The Ben Franklin Fellowship is honored to serve on the Host Committee for The Forum 2026, taking place November 10–12 at Gaylord National Resort & Convention Center in National Harbor, Maryland. Bringing together leaders, policymakers, scholars, entrepreneurs, and organizations from across the conservative movement, this inaugural gathering provides an important opportunity for thoughtful discussion, vigorous debate, new partnerships, and collaboration on the challenges and opportunities facing our nation.
#TheForum2026 #BenFranklinFellowship #AmericanLeadership #ForeignPolicy
From our BFF Co-Founder Simon Hankinson...
Up to 12,300 Afghans were let in based on letters of recommendation from a CIA officer who doesn't exist, and the error rate in vetting was about half. But sure, let's let in another couple hundred thousand with no evidence they ever helped us. What can go wrong? nypost.com/2026/11/08/opinio…
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BenFranklinFellowship retweeted
Whistleblower: SIV-holders “are more of a risk than other Afghan immigrants because the SIV process was corrupted and vetting was largely compromised.”
nypost.com/2026/11/08/opinio…
Today, Monday November 3rd at 3 PM EST.
AFGHAN SIV SECURITY THREAT: VETTING FAILURES AND THE NEED FOR ACTION
The Ben Franklin Fellowship, together with the Center for Immigration Studies and The Heritage Foundation, invites you to join us TODAY, Monday, November 9, at 3:00 PM ET, for an important Capitol Hill discussion examining Afghan immigration vetting failures, the Special Immigrant Visa (SIV) program, and the national security implications of U.S. policies following the 2021 withdrawal from Afghanistan.
The program will also honor and remember Sarah Beckstrom and Andrew Wolfe, the two National Guard members targeted in the November 2025 terrorist attack near the White House, paying tribute to their service and sacrifice.
FEATURED PANELISTS:
Joseph Abraham — Director, DHS VOICE Office
Wade Miller — Executive Director, Center for Renewing America
Simon Hankinson — Senior Research Fellow, The Heritage Foundation; Co-Founder, The Ben Franklin Fellowship
Phillip Linderman — Co-Founder and Chairman, The Ben Franklin Fellowship
MODERATOR:
Mark Krikorian — Executive Director, Center for Immigration Studies
Panelists will examine reported vetting failures, potential security vulnerabilities, the need to reassess previous screening decisions, and policy recommendations to strengthen safeguards and protect Americans.
EVENT: Honoring the Victims and Addressing the Afghan Security Threat
This month marks the first anniversary of the terrorist attack that took the life of National Guard member Sarah Beckstrom and wounded fellow member Andrew Wolfe. teapaw.org/i/broadcasts/2LPLdEBRq…
HONORING THE VICTIMS & ADDRESSING THE AFGHAN SECURITY THREAT. MONDAY, NOV. 9 | 3:00 PM ET | IN PERSON & LIVESTREAM
The Ben Franklin Fellowship is proud to join the Center for Immigration Studies and The Heritage Foundation in co-sponsoring this important event at Bellator Hall on Capitol Hill. As we mark the first anniversary of the November 2025 terrorist attack near the White House, we will honor the memory of West Virginia National Guard member Sarah Beckstrom, who lost her life, and recognize fellow Guard member Andrew Wolfe, who was seriously wounded. The program will also examine critical national security concerns surrounding the admission and vetting of Afghan nationals following the 2021 U.S. withdrawal from Afghanistan, including the Special Immigrant Visa (SIV) program, reported security and vetting failures, and recommendations for strengthening safeguards to protect Americans.
EVENT DETAILS, REGISTRATION & LIVESTREAM INFORMATION: cis.org/Press-Release/EVENT-…
#BenFranklinFellowship #CenterForImmigrationStudies #HeritageFoundation #NationalSecurity #Afghanistan #AfghanVetting #ImmigrationPolicy #ForeignPolicy #CapitolHill #NationalGuard #Diplomacy
🤖 Made with AI
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BFF Co-Founder and Board Member Simon Hankinson
It's time to either drastically reform the H-1B visa program or end it all together. American workers in every industry should always come first.
@WatchfulWaiter1 is a Senior Research Fellow at the Border Security and Immigration Center.
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FOREIGN AFFAIRS FIFTEEN PODCAST — EPISODE 24 Kim Jong-Un's Drone Army, Poland's Constitutional Crisis, Lula's Comeback, the Markles & More! The world never runs out of surprises — and neither do BFF FELLOWS Dr. @JohnHulsman1 and @WatchfulWaiter1 Simon “Captain Si” Hankinson! In the latest episode of Foreign Affairs Fifteen, these two Ben Franklin Fellowship Fellows deliver another fast-paced, insightful, and entertaining look at the week's international headlines. This week's conversation covers North Korea's expanding drone capabilities, Poland's constitutional turmoil, Brazilian President Lula's political resurgence, rising crime concerns in Canada, and questions surrounding Kenyan student loans, and more! WATCH EPISODE 24 NOW ON THE BFF YOUTUBE CHANNEL: youtube.com/watch?v=NHj4Cq2S…
#ForeignAffairsFifteen #BenFranklinFellowship #JohnHulsman #SimonHankinson #CaptainSi #ForeignPolicy #Geopolitics #NationalSecurity #NorthKorea
Featuring two BFF Fellows, Max Primorac and Dr. Emily Brearley...
Thanks to Braver Angels for this discussion on foreign aid. I made clear that we must transition to investment and trade, not long-term global welfare programs that enrich the UN and western NGOs, and that progressives must either do politics/ideology or foreign aid work. Can't do both! If they want to return to the polarizing politics of the Biden presidency, foreign aid will end up in the dustbin of American history.
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IMMIGRATION, SOVEREIGNTY & FOREIGN RELATIONS - VIDEO AVAILABLE - A Special Lecture and Discussion with Dr. Mark R. Amstutz
What responsibilities do sovereign nations have in regulating immigration? How should governments balance border security, the rule of law, humanitarian obligations, and the national interest? And what role should Christian ethics play in shaping immigration policy? The Ben Franklin Fellowship and Hillsdale College's Washington, D.C. Campus recently co-hosted a thought-provoking lecture featuring Dr. Mark R. Amstutz, Professor Emeritus of Political Science at Wheaton College and author of Just Immigration: American Policy in Christian Perspective.
WATCH THE FULL LECTURE & AUDIENCE Q&A: youtube.com/watch?v=ThG7U9Ml…
We thank Hillsdale College and Dr. Amstutz for partnering with The Ben Franklin Fellowship to advance informed discussion of these important questions.
#BenFranklinFellowship #HillsdaleCollege #ImmigrationPolicy #NationalSovereignty #ForeignPolicy #RuleOfLaw #AmericanDiplomacy
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📷 HONORING THE VICTIMS AND ADDRESSING THE AFGHAN SECURITY THREAT
MONDAY, NOVEMBER 9 | 3:00 PM ET | LIVESTREAM & IN-PERSON (213 Pennsylvania Avenue SE, Wash D.C.)
The Ben Franklin Fellowship is proud to join the @CIS_org Center for Immigration Studies and The Heritage Foundation in co-sponsoring this important event at Bellator Hall on Capitol Hill. As we mark the first anniversary of the November 2025 terrorist attack near the White House, we will honor the memory of West Virginia National Guard member Sarah Beckstrom, who lost her life, and recognize fellow Guard member Andrew Wolfe, who was seriously wounded. The program will also examine critical national security concerns surrounding the admission and vetting of Afghan nationals following the 2021 U.S. withdrawal from Afghanistan, including the Special Immigrant Visa (SIV) program, reported security and vetting failures, and recommendations for strengthening safeguards to protect Americans.
ATTEND IN PERSON: RSVP required. Email [email protected]. WATCH LIVE: youtube.com/watch?v=zw-hUMvo…
FULL EVENT DETAILS: cis.org/Press-Release/EVENT-…
#NationalSecurity #Afghanistan #ImmigrationPolicy #ForeignPolicy #Veterans #HomelandSecurity
CONGRESSMAN MEEKS DISCOVERS MERITOCRACY—BUT WHERE WAS HE DURING DEI?In an October 29 letter to the State Department's Inspector General, Congressmen Gregory Meeks (D-NY) and Robert Garcia (D-CA) called for an investigation into alleged political favoritism in Foreign Service personnel decisions, specifically raising questions about The Ben Franklin Fellowship. The Ben Franklin Fellowship firmly rejects any suggestion that membership in our organization provides preferential treatment in Foreign Service hiring, promotions, or assignments. BFF has no institutional role in State Department personnel selection or promotion decisions.
Also, where was this concern for meritocracy when the Biden administration was implementing DEI policies at the State Department? BFF stands for professional excellence, equal treatment, and a Foreign Service that serves the American people — not political factions. READ OUR FULL REBUTTAL: benfranklinfellowship.org/ar…
#Meritocracy #ForeignService #StateDepartment #DEI
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WHERE IS THE COMMITMENT TO MERITOCRACY? BFF Responds to Ambassador Nicholas Burns's Call for Reviving DEI at the State DepartmentIn recent remarks to the American Foreign Service Association (AFSA), former U.S. Ambassador to China Nicholas Burns called for a return to what he described as a more “rational” approach to diversity and inclusion at the State Department. But where is the equally forceful commitment to meritocracy?In a new commentary, The Ben Franklin Fellowship challenges Burns's proposed return to DEI, questioning whether a revised approach would adequately address concerns about identity-based preferences in hiring, promotions, and assignments.
Read BFF's full response: benfranklinfellowship.org/ar…
#BenFranklinFellowship #Meritocracy #ForeignService #AmericanDiplomacy #StateDepartment #DEI #ForeignPolicy
BenFranklinFellowship retweeted
The Trump Administration will not tolerate actions that undermine the national security or immigration laws of the United States. state.gov/releases/office-of…
REFORMING U.S. FOREIGN AID: RESTART THE CHAINSAW OR REDIRECT THE SPIGOT?
BFF & The Heritage Foundation convened 4 BFF Fellows on Capitol Hill for a discussion moderated by Chairman Phillip Linderman on USAID reform, accountability & America's foreign-assistance priorities. Dr. Emily Brearley, @WatchfulWaiter1 Simon Hankinson, @BrettDSchaefer & @MaxPrimorac examined World Bank reform, illegal immigration, U.N. oversight, humanitarian aid & private investment. Read their policy recommendations, event recap & view photos: benfranklinfellowship.org/ar…
THE BEN FRANKLIN FELLOWSHIP
Diplomacy Rooted in the Republic. In Service to America.
#BenFranklinFellowship #HeritageFoundation #ForeignAid #USAID #ForeignPolicy #NationalSecurity
🌎 NEW! Foreign Affairs Fifteen E23 Podcast! BFF Fellows Dr. @JohnHulsman1 & @WatchfulWaiter1 “Captain Si” Simon Hankinson discuss unrest across Europe, Netanyahu, Haiti's security crisis, Ilhan Omar, Elon Musk's Starlink & much more! WATCH: youtube.com/watch?v=V2ek-caN…
#ForeignPolicy #Geopolitics #BFF
BenFranklinFellowship retweeted
Under the leadership of @POTUS @realDonaldTrump, @SecRubio and I have long emphasized that foreigners who participate in, advocate, or celebrate political violence aren’t welcome visitors in our country, and that we’re ready, willing, and able to revoke visas as we become aware of such cases. We take this issue, which prior Administrations failed to address, with the utmost gravity.
Many cases that have been brought to our attention on social media, however, do not in fact involve foreigners present in our country on visas, but instead US citizens. Under those circumstances, obviously, no visa action is implicated. So just make sure to take with a grain of salt what you read online. As always, we encourage everyone to report suspected visa fraud or abuse at travel.state.gov/en/report-v… and we’ll look into it.🫡🇺🇸