Zachary Fryer-Biggs
@zachfb.bsky.social
Supervising Editor, National Security @CNN.com
Inside the Trump team's debates on what to do with Venezuela during his first term, and what that could mean for the military buildup going on right now - from @cnn.com 's Katie Bo Lillis, Sean Lyngaas and Kylie Atwood
CIA cyberattacks targeting the Maduro regime didn’t satisfy Trump in his first term. Now the US is flexing its military might | CNN Politics
In the final year of President Donald Trump’s first administration, the CIA carried out a clandestine cyberattack against the Venezuelan government, disabling the computer network used by Venezuelan l...
www.cnn.com
October 29, 2025 at 1:13 PM
Inside the Trump team's debates on what to do with Venezuela during his first term, and what that could mean for the military buildup going on right now - from @cnn.com 's Katie Bo Lillis, Sean Lyngaas and Kylie Atwood
Reposted by Zachary Fryer-Biggs
New: The Pentagon confirms to CNN it will funnel $130M from an anonymous Trump “friend” toward military pay.
Asked about the donor’s identity and any foreign or domestic entanglements, the WH referred questions to DoD. DoD then referred questions back to the WH
www.cnn.com/2025/10/24/p...
Asked about the donor’s identity and any foreign or domestic entanglements, the WH referred questions to DoD. DoD then referred questions back to the WH
www.cnn.com/2025/10/24/p...
Pentagon to use $130 million donation from anonymous Trump ‘friend’ to pay military members | CNN Politics
The Trump administration plans to funnel a $130 million donation from an anonymous ally of President Donald Trump toward paying military service members during the government shutdown, the Defense Dep...
www.cnn.com
October 24, 2025 at 6:11 PM
New: The Pentagon confirms to CNN it will funnel $130M from an anonymous Trump “friend” toward military pay.
Asked about the donor’s identity and any foreign or domestic entanglements, the WH referred questions to DoD. DoD then referred questions back to the WH
www.cnn.com/2025/10/24/p...
Asked about the donor’s identity and any foreign or domestic entanglements, the WH referred questions to DoD. DoD then referred questions back to the WH
www.cnn.com/2025/10/24/p...
Phenomenal story from @natashabertrand.bsky.social - these lawyers play a vital role in making sure military orders are lawful
How the Pentagon sidelined lawyers while testing the legal limits of military action | CNN Politics
For weeks earlier this year, the Army’s top uniformed lawyer had been raising legal concerns inside the Pentagon about some of the new policies being rolled out dictating how the military can be used ...
www.cnn.com
October 15, 2025 at 11:35 AM
Phenomenal story from @natashabertrand.bsky.social - these lawyers play a vital role in making sure military orders are lawful
Just wanted to take a second to kvell about what a great newsroom we had at Military.com. You should check out the features and investigations the team did before the recent gutting. www.military.com/daily-news/m...
News Investigations & Features
U.S. military news investigations and military news feature stories.
www.military.com
September 19, 2025 at 1:16 PM
Just wanted to take a second to kvell about what a great newsroom we had at Military.com. You should check out the features and investigations the team did before the recent gutting. www.military.com/daily-news/m...
News is out this morning that I'm joining @cnn.com as an editor helping to lead the national security team. Very excited about the journalism to come.
September 18, 2025 at 2:20 PM
News is out this morning that I'm joining @cnn.com as an editor helping to lead the national security team. Very excited about the journalism to come.
Possibly the last byline we'll get from @ktoropin.bsky.social who's headed to a great job, but also a really important story that you shouldn't miss.
'Open Cruelty': Transgender Troops Describe Indignities as They're Kicked Out of the Military
Leaders in the Trump administration have minced few words in articulating how they feel about transgender troops.
www.military.com
July 29, 2025 at 9:52 PM
Possibly the last byline we'll get from @ktoropin.bsky.social who's headed to a great job, but also a really important story that you shouldn't miss.
VA backs off plan for massive job cuts, but workface still to shrink - story by @kheel.bsky.social
Plans for Mass VA Firings Scuttled, But Department Still Expects 30,000 Employees to Leave on Their Own
The announcement walked back previous plans, first revealed in a leaked memo in March, to fire as many as 83,000 employees as part of the Trump administration's overarching goal to slash the size of t...
www.military.com
July 8, 2025 at 5:55 PM
VA backs off plan for massive job cuts, but workface still to shrink - story by @kheel.bsky.social
Reposted by Zachary Fryer-Biggs
Military Domestic Violence Convictiins have surged since commanders were removed from prosecution decisions. Via @militarydotcom.bsky.social @stevenbeynon.bsky.social www.military.com/daily-news/i...
Military Domestic Violence Convictions Skyrocketed After Commanders Were Removed from Process
Courts-martial are on the rise for domestic violence charges across the Defense Department services.
www.military.com
June 24, 2025 at 8:59 PM
Military Domestic Violence Convictiins have surged since commanders were removed from prosecution decisions. Via @militarydotcom.bsky.social @stevenbeynon.bsky.social www.military.com/daily-news/i...
We're undertaking a major project looking at domestic violence in the military community, which experiences disproportionate rates. The first story, looking at sharp increases in convictions by @stevenbeynon.bsky.social and @patriciakime.bsky.social is out. Please reach out if you can help us.
Military Domestic Violence Convictions Skyrocketed After Commanders Were Removed from Process
Courts-martial are on the rise for domestic violence charges across the Defense Department services.
www.military.com
June 24, 2025 at 9:53 PM
We're undertaking a major project looking at domestic violence in the military community, which experiences disproportionate rates. The first story, looking at sharp increases in convictions by @stevenbeynon.bsky.social and @patriciakime.bsky.social is out. Please reach out if you can help us.
Reposted by Zachary Fryer-Biggs
NEW: The Army veteran detained by Marines in LA told me about the incident, which raised legal fears among experts.
"I would feel bad if someone else was going through that same thing as me, because they would probably freak the heck out."
More @Militarydotcom:
www.military.com/daily-news/2...
"I would feel bad if someone else was going through that same thing as me, because they would probably freak the heck out."
More @Militarydotcom:
www.military.com/daily-news/2...
A Veteran Was Detained by Marines. It Highlights Concerns over the Military's Growing Ties to Law Enforcement.
Marcos Leao's detention by Marines marks what many legal, defense and policy experts say is an unprecedented violation of the Posse Comitatus Act, which bars the U.S. military from performing domestic...
www.military.com
June 18, 2025 at 9:59 PM
NEW: The Army veteran detained by Marines in LA told me about the incident, which raised legal fears among experts.
"I would feel bad if someone else was going through that same thing as me, because they would probably freak the heck out."
More @Militarydotcom:
www.military.com/daily-news/2...
"I would feel bad if someone else was going through that same thing as me, because they would probably freak the heck out."
More @Militarydotcom:
www.military.com/daily-news/2...
Reposted by Zachary Fryer-Biggs
The first civilian detained by U.S. Marines in Los Angeles was an ARMY VETERAN on his way to a VA APPOINTMENT
Exclusive: US Marines carry out first known detention of civilian in Los Angeles, video shows
Marines deployed to Los Angeles carried out the detention of a civilian on Friday, the U.S. military confirmed after being presented with Reuters images, in the first known detention by active-duty troops deployed there by President Donald Trump.
www.reuters.com
June 13, 2025 at 11:30 PM
The first civilian detained by U.S. Marines in Los Angeles was an ARMY VETERAN on his way to a VA APPOINTMENT
Senate pares back cuts to food stamps for troops and their families, but cuts are still there - @kheel.bsky.social with the story
Food Assistance Cuts Softened, Veterans Education Benefits Protected in Senate Version of Trump Agenda Bill
Two aspects of a sweeping bill to enact President Donald Trump's agenda that alarmed veterans and military family advocates have been watered down by Senate Republicans.
www.military.com
June 13, 2025 at 9:14 PM
Senate pares back cuts to food stamps for troops and their families, but cuts are still there - @kheel.bsky.social with the story
Reposted by Zachary Fryer-Biggs
Scoop: Threat intelligence reports obtained by WIRED and @propertyofthepeople.org show military and state-run fusion centers are tracking civilian-made ICE encounter maps, while others distribute "threat" alerts about tomorrow's "No Kings" protests.
By me @wired.com (free to read):
By me @wired.com (free to read):
'No Kings' Protests, Citizen-Run ICE Trackers Trigger Intelligence Warnings
Army intelligence analysts are monitoring civilian-made ICE tracking tools, treating them as potential threats, as immigration protests spread nationwide.
www.wired.com
June 13, 2025 at 8:51 PM
Scoop: Threat intelligence reports obtained by WIRED and @propertyofthepeople.org show military and state-run fusion centers are tracking civilian-made ICE encounter maps, while others distribute "threat" alerts about tomorrow's "No Kings" protests.
By me @wired.com (free to read):
By me @wired.com (free to read):
Army Eliminates Office for Minimizing Civilian Deaths on Battlefields - part of a broader trend with the Pentagon closing offices in March that tried to account for civilian deaths as well as prevent them. @stevenbeynon.bsky.social has the story.
Army Eliminates Office for Minimizing Civilian Deaths on Battlefields
The Civilian Protection Center of Excellence, which once housed roughly 30 staff, has been folded into the Army's dense web of unrelated bureaucratic policy shops.
www.military.com
June 13, 2025 at 8:48 PM
Army Eliminates Office for Minimizing Civilian Deaths on Battlefields - part of a broader trend with the Pentagon closing offices in March that tried to account for civilian deaths as well as prevent them. @stevenbeynon.bsky.social has the story.
The Army Parade Poses Potential Pitfalls like a Tank Breakdown. Soldiers Say They're Prepared. - @dflawrence.bsky.social looks at the Army's preparations for the Army/Trump birthday parade tomorrow. Soldiers sound as if they've talked through the Tiananmen Square scenario.
The Army Parade Poses Potential Pitfalls like a Tank Breakdown. Soldiers Say They're Prepared.
Thousands of soldiers have descended upon Washington, D.C., from more than a dozen Army divisions across the force, and many of them have meticulously prepared their machines to roll down Constitution...
www.military.com
June 13, 2025 at 8:45 PM
The Army Parade Poses Potential Pitfalls like a Tank Breakdown. Soldiers Say They're Prepared. - @dflawrence.bsky.social looks at the Army's preparations for the Army/Trump birthday parade tomorrow. Soldiers sound as if they've talked through the Tiananmen Square scenario.
The Marines Are in Los Angeles - a look at the Marines now deployed to an American city, how they were prepared, and the history of Marine Corps training in non-lethal tactics by @dflawrence.bsky.social and @tomnovelly.bsky.social
The Marines Are in Los Angeles
Around 200 Marines armed with rifles, riot control equipment, gas masks, roughly 20 hours of civil disturbance training and the ability to temporarily detain civilians arrived in the country's second-...
www.military.com
June 13, 2025 at 8:25 PM
The Marines Are in Los Angeles - a look at the Marines now deployed to an American city, how they were prepared, and the history of Marine Corps training in non-lethal tactics by @dflawrence.bsky.social and @tomnovelly.bsky.social
Reposted by Zachary Fryer-Biggs
Pentagon Encourages Troops to Join Immigration Enforcement, Border Security Job Training Program www.military.com/daily-news/2...
Pentagon Encourages Troops to Join Immigration Enforcement, Border Security Job Training Program
Hegseth ordered the Pentagon to "prioritize and broadly advertise" opportunities troops who are nearing separation or retirement from the military have with either Customs and Border Protection or…
www.military.com
June 12, 2025 at 10:10 PM
Pentagon Encourages Troops to Join Immigration Enforcement, Border Security Job Training Program www.military.com/daily-news/2...
Reposted by Zachary Fryer-Biggs
SCOOP: The Army pushed back on a MAGA pop-up shop being set up at Bragg for Trump's speech but were overruled. Here's how orgs with deep Trump campaign and Jan 6 ties got merch to be sold to troops. www.military.com/daily-news/2...
Army Officials Pushed Back on Pop-Up MAGA Shop Ahead of Fort Bragg Trump Speech
Ahead of President Donald Trump's rally-style appearance at Fort Bragg, North Carolina, on Tuesday, Army officials raised alarms over a vendor planning to sell Trump-branded merchandise on site.
www.military.com
June 12, 2025 at 8:47 PM
SCOOP: The Army pushed back on a MAGA pop-up shop being set up at Bragg for Trump's speech but were overruled. Here's how orgs with deep Trump campaign and Jan 6 ties got merch to be sold to troops. www.military.com/daily-news/2...
Reposted by Zachary Fryer-Biggs
Are you on the LA mission? Or any mission related to recent events? I want to hear from you. No one will know we talked, here's my Signal: SteveBeynon.28
June 11, 2025 at 10:52 PM
Are you on the LA mission? Or any mission related to recent events? I want to hear from you. No one will know we talked, here's my Signal: SteveBeynon.28
Guard Soldiers Deployed in Trump's LA Crackdown Aren't Getting Paid Yet - military scrambling to sort out orders so that troops can get paid by @stevenbeynon.bsky.social
Guard Soldiers Deployed in Trump's LA Crackdown Aren't Getting Paid Yet
According to more than a dozen Guardsmen across four units who spoke to Military.com, none has received formal activation orders, the critical paperwork that not only authorizes their duty status, but...
www.military.com
June 11, 2025 at 10:42 PM
Guard Soldiers Deployed in Trump's LA Crackdown Aren't Getting Paid Yet - military scrambling to sort out orders so that troops can get paid by @stevenbeynon.bsky.social
Marines Authorized to Temporarily Detain Protesters in LA, Raising Legal Concerns by @dflawrence.bsky.social - a critical issue to watch
Marines Authorized to Temporarily Detain Protesters in LA, Raising Legal Concerns
A legal expert said that even granting temporary detention authority to troops can be construed as a law enforcement act, blurring the line between civilian police and service members on active orders...
www.military.com
June 11, 2025 at 10:41 PM
Marines Authorized to Temporarily Detain Protesters in LA, Raising Legal Concerns by @dflawrence.bsky.social - a critical issue to watch
Reposted by Zachary Fryer-Biggs
"It's very disheartening," the daughter of the late Lt. Gen. Arthur Gregg told @militarydotcom.bsky.social on Wednesday. "My father worked his entire life trying to move the Army and, as a result, the nation forward, and now we're watching it slip backwards."
www.military.com/daily-news/2...
www.military.com/daily-news/2...
'Deeply Negative Message': Relatives of Fort Gregg-Adams' Namesakes React to Trump Renaming
Relatives of the late Lt. Gen. Arthur Gregg and Lt. Col. Charity Adams-Earley anticipated it, but when President Donald Trump announced their parents' names would be stripped from the Virginia base, t...
www.military.com
June 11, 2025 at 9:07 PM
"It's very disheartening," the daughter of the late Lt. Gen. Arthur Gregg told @militarydotcom.bsky.social on Wednesday. "My father worked his entire life trying to move the Army and, as a result, the nation forward, and now we're watching it slip backwards."
www.military.com/daily-news/2...
www.military.com/daily-news/2...
Reposted by Zachary Fryer-Biggs
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth suggested Wednesday that the Trump administration could send troops to any city in America over the objections of state and local officials, as it is doing now in Los Angeles.
Story by @kheel.bsky.social
Story by @kheel.bsky.social
Hegseth Suggests LA-Style Troop Deployments Could Happen Anywhere in US 'if Necessary'
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth added that "hopefully" governors in other states would mobilize their Guards themselves and took a swipe at California Gov. Gavin Newsom for "playing politics."
www.military.com
June 11, 2025 at 8:57 PM
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth suggested Wednesday that the Trump administration could send troops to any city in America over the objections of state and local officials, as it is doing now in Los Angeles.
Story by @kheel.bsky.social
Story by @kheel.bsky.social
Really important story - army officials asked soldiers to identify themselves if they don't agree with Trump's politics that way he'd get only supportive soldiers in uniform during his political rally on base. Heavier soldiers were also barred from participating.
Bragg Soldiers Who Cheered Trump's Political Attacks While in Uniform Were Checked for Allegiance, Appearance
As Trump viciously attacked his perceived political foes, he whipped up boos from the gathered troops directed at California leaders, including Gov. Gavin Newsom.
www.military.com
June 11, 2025 at 5:49 PM
Really important story - army officials asked soldiers to identify themselves if they don't agree with Trump's politics that way he'd get only supportive soldiers in uniform during his political rally on base. Heavier soldiers were also barred from participating.