Ex-Trump Official Accused of Spreading Racist Theories Under a Pseudonym

A former Trump official secretly spread racist conspiracy theories online while operating as a pseudonymous alt-right influencer, according to NBC News. Michael Benz, a former State Department official who specialized in international communications, is accused of being the face behind the internet figure known as “Frame Game,” who railed against the “Jewish influence,” pushed the narrative that white people were being “replaced,” and spewed racist ideas while rubbing elbows with white nationalists. NBC reports that biographical details revealed by “Frame Game” online match up with those of Benz, and an acquaintance of his told the news outlet Benz had once spoken of writing under that pseudonym. Benz reportedly hung up on an NBC reporter when asked directly if he was “Frame Game.” But in a lengthy statement on X late Friday, he appeared to admit he was behind the account—though he said it was actually part of a “deradicalization project.” “The account in question was a project by Jews to get people who hated Jews to stop hating Jews,” Benz wrote, saying it was “successful” and “produced deradicalization material.”