Benton Coblentz
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benton-coblentz.bsky.social
Benton Coblentz
@benton-coblentz.bsky.social
All views my own.
It was this kind of “social media vetting” that I was afraid of when I got my 2017 student visa to Russia - and the kind of vetting that would certainly get me denied today.

It’s not befitting a democracy like the United States to impose these kinds of tests.
Exclusive: New student visa interviews are on pause as Trump’s admin weighs requiring foreign students applying in the U.S. to undergo social media vetting.
Trump team orders stop to new student visa interviews, as it weighs expanding social media vetting
The directive came in a Tuesday cable obtained by POLITICO.
www.politico.com
May 27, 2025 at 5:55 PM
Spent the week with my fellow @PrincetonSPIA students in Arusha 🇹🇿studying the EAC and economic integration in East Africa.

We met with regional officials, private sector leaders, and civil society representatives to learn about the future of this crucial region!
March 15, 2025 at 2:50 PM
If Donald Trump is looking for a good deal, there is no better deal for US security than support for Ukraine.

Ukrainians are making all the sacrifices, while the United States is able to maintain global peace and prosperity for pennies on the dollar. www.bloomberg.com/news/article...
Trump Pauses Military Aid to Ukraine After Clash With Zelenskiy
President Donald Trump ordered a pause to all military aid to Ukraine, turning up the heat on Volodymyr Zelenskiy just days after an Oval Office blowup with the Ukrainian president left the support of...
www.bloomberg.com
March 4, 2025 at 1:12 AM
Last month, in this article I wrote for Princeton SPIA, I asked what it would mean if President Trump comes to see Russia’s annexation Ukrainian territories as a useful precedent for his own expansionist aims.

Today, it seems we might have the answer. jpia.princeton.edu/news/what-tr...
What the Trump administration means for Ukraine
Ukraine’s fight is not just for its independence, but for the principles that protect every country from predation by their more powerful neighbors. While the Trump administration’s policies regarding...
jpia.princeton.edu
February 28, 2025 at 8:28 PM
Today's news from Hegseth is exactly why President Biden should have moved more quickly to secure Ukraine's future in NATO. thehill.com/opinion/4712...
thehill.com
February 12, 2025 at 3:45 PM
I wrote about what Trump’s second administration might mean for Ukraine for @PrincetonSPIA’s Annotations. jpia.princeton.edu/news/what-tr...
What the Trump administration means for Ukraine
Ukraine’s fight is not just for its independence, but for the principles that protect every country from predation by their more powerful neighbors. While the Trump administration’s policies regarding...
jpia.princeton.edu
February 5, 2025 at 4:23 PM
Glad to see Washington State at the forefront of protecting our constitutional rights! Proud of AG Nick Brown's swift efforts. www.seattletimes.com/seattle-news...
Judge in Seattle blocks Trump order on birthright citizenship nationwide
Washington Attorney General Nick Brown had sued to block the executive order, calling it “unconstitutional, un-American and cruel.”
www.seattletimes.com
January 23, 2025 at 7:49 PM
Four years ago, I called around to my neighbors to sign on to a letter to our representatives calling for the immediate impeachment and removal from office of President Trump for his actions on January 6.
January 6, 2025 at 6:43 PM
In his interview with Lex Friedman, President Zelensky says he is hopeful he can come to an agreement with Trump on how to "stop Putin." His plan for peace?

1) security guarantees for Kyiv (ideally in NATO)
2) an arms package "not just from the United States"
3) sanctions on Russia
January 6, 2025 at 6:03 PM
A lot of people are talking about language and that Lex Friedman interview. I think this answer from President Zelensky should put that debate to rest.
January 6, 2025 at 1:49 AM