Truth Trench Think Tank
Policy, Independence, Peace, Research
Few aspects of the FBI's Crossfire Hurricane investigation generated more controversy than the surveillance of Carter Page. Page, an American citizen and former foreign policy adviser to Donald Trump's 2016 presidential campaign, became the target of electronic surveillance authorized under the …
Continue Reading about The Carter Page FISA Warrants: What the DOJ Inspector General Found →
When the federal government asks a secret court for permission to conduct foreign intelligence surveillance, the judge reviewing the request faces an unusual challenge. The surveillance target generally is not standing in the courtroom. There is no defense attorney cross-examining an FBI …
Continue Reading about The Woods Procedures: How the FBI Verifies FISA Applications →
The FBI investigation known as Crossfire Hurricane became one of the most consequential and controversial counterintelligence investigations in modern American history. Opened during the 2016 presidential election, the investigation examined whether individuals associated with Donald Trump's …
The controversy surrounding the FBI's Crossfire Hurricane investigation did not end with the investigation itself. The Department of Justice Office of Inspector General's examination of the FBI's surveillance of Carter Page exposed significant weaknesses in the process used to prepare, verify, …
Continue Reading about FISA Reform After Crossfire Hurricane: What Changed? →
For nearly half a century, the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act has existed at the intersection of two responsibilities of the federal government that are often difficult to reconcile. Protect the United States from foreign threats. Protect the constitutional rights and civil liberties of …
A government investigator receives information from a confidential source. An intelligence service intercepts a communication. A foreign partner provides a report. An analyst identifies a pattern. A witness makes an allegation. A journalist obtains a leaked document. A federal …
Continue Reading about Intelligence vs. Evidence: Why the Difference Matters →
Americans are expected to hear directly from President Donald Trump tonight during a nationally televised address from the White House, an event that comes amid months of significant developments involving election security, foreign policy, national security, immigration, and the role of federal …
Continue Reading about What to Watch for During President Trump’s National Address Tonight →
Artificial intelligence, missile defense, quantum computing, biotechnology, and cyber warfare are all part of a proposed bipartisan initiative that could reshape defense cooperation between the United States and Israel. A bipartisan bill introduced in the U.S. House of Representatives—H.R. 7540, …
The United States military is narrowing its technological focus. In November 2025, the Office of the Under Secretary of War for Research and Engineering announced six Critical Technology Areas intended to guide research, investment, testing, and the delivery of new capabilities to American …
Continue Reading about Six Technologies the War Department Says Will Define the Future Battlefield →
The Freedom of Information Act is one of the most powerful tools a citizen has. It is also one of the most underused, and most frustrating. Since 1967, FOIA (5 U.S.C. § 552) has given any person the right to request records from federal executive branch agencies. You do not need to be a …
Continue Reading about How to File a FOIA Request, and Why Federal Agencies Fall Behind →
For 250 years, the United States of America has stood as one of history's greatest experiments in self-government. On July 4, 1776, fifty-six men pledged their lives, fortunes, and sacred honor to the belief that freedom was worth fighting for. Their declaration did more than separate thirteen …
Every generation faces a question that tests the balance between liberty and security. Today, one of those questions is arriving at city councils, county commissions, and state legislatures across America through the rapid expansion of Automated License Plate Reader (ALPR) technology, commonly …
National nonprofit research institute achieves three significant milestones as Candid, Salesforce, and Google recognize the organization's commitment to accountability, operational excellence, and public education. Truth Trench Think Tank is proud to announce three major organizational …
Social Security will not "go broke." But unless Congress acts, it will not be able to pay full benefits in about six years. On June 9, 2026, the Social Security Trustees released their annual report. It projects that the Old-Age and Survivors Insurance (OASI) trust fund, which pays retirement and …
Continue Reading about Social Security’s 2032 Deadline: What Happens to Your Benefits, and When →
One of the President of the United States' greatest constitutional powers is the power to grant pardons. A presidential pardon can forgive federal crimes, restore certain rights, or even prevent federal prosecution before charges are ever filed. Every president has used this authority, but few …
Continue Reading about President Joe Biden’s Most Controversial Pardons: Who Was Pardoned and Why? →
National nonprofit research institute recognized with Candid's highest level of transparency, demonstrating exceptional commitment to accountability, measurable impact, and public trust. Truth Trench Think Tank is proud to announce that it has earned Candid's 2026 Platinum Seal of …
Continue Reading about Truth Trench Think Tank Earns Candid’s 2026 Platinum Seal of Transparency →
Global technology leader Salesforce continues to invests resources into nonprofits - Truth Trench Think Tank gains Enterprise-level technology grant, strengthening the organization's capacity for research, civic engagement, and nationwide impact. FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Truth Trench …
What Parents Need to Know About the New Federal Push Against Deepfakes and Nonconsensual Imagery A significant new federal bill known as the TAKE IT DOWN Act is gaining rapid attention in Washington, with a critical deadline approaching on May 19, 2026. The legislation targets the growing crisis …
An Independent Analysis of the Administration’s Approach to AI Policy and Parental Rights In early 2026, the Trump administration issued a significant Executive Order on artificial intelligence that includes a notable carve-out for child safety. White House AI and Crypto Czar David Sacks publicly …
The Supreme Court ruled the tariffs unlawful in February. As of yesterday, importers can start getting their money back. On April 20, 2026, at 8:00 a.m. Eastern, U.S. Customs and Border Protection launched CAPE, the system it built to process refunds of duties collected under the International …
2026 Is Going to Be Brutal for Truth — Here’s How We’re Arming You The next twelve months are going to be the most information-dense, deception-heavy year most of us have ever seen. Deepfakes will be indistinguishable to the naked eye. Coordinated narratives will move faster than fact-checkers …
On July 31, 2016, the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) opened a counterintelligence investigation that would become known as Crossfire Hurricane. Over the following several years, the investigation became one of the most scrutinized federal investigations in American history, prompting …
Continue Reading about Crossfire Hurricane: How the FBI’s Trump-Russia Investigation Began →
National nonprofit research institute expands its ability to educate, inform, and engage Americans through Google's Ad Grants program for eligible charitable organizations. FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Truth Trench Think Tank is proud to announce that it has been accepted into the Google Ad …
The administration has asked Congress to do what an executive order cannot: write a national AI rulebook that overrides the states. On March 20, 2026, the White House released a National Policy Framework for Artificial Intelligence, a four-page set of legislative recommendations to Congress. It …
America now spends more on interest than on its military. That is not a slogan. It is the Congressional Budget Office's projection for fiscal year 2026, and the first quarter of the year confirmed it. Between October and December 2025, the federal government paid $270.3 billion in net interest …
