Politico

Politico is a news outlet whose defense editor, Bryan Bender, reported extensively on the Pentagon's UAP investigations, and which broke the Advanced Aerospace Threat Identification Program (AATIP) story alongside the New York Times and Washington Post in December 2017.

Politico’s defense editor is Bryan Bender.¹ On the afternoon of 2017-12-16, the New York Times broke online news of the Advanced Aerospace Threat Identification Program (AATIP), followed seconds later by Politico and then the Washington Post,² in reporting that included the 2017-12 New York Times Advanced Aerospace Threat Identification Program (AATIP) disclosure story.

Dana White, a spokeswoman for the Pentagon, confirmed to Politico that AATIP existed and was run by Luis Elizondo,³ giving that confirmation before she left the Pentagon.⁴ To the Stars Academy of Arts and Science (TTSA) posted the first two United States Department of Defense (DoD) UAP videos in mid-December 2017, timed for impact when Politico, the Washington Post and the New York Times broke the story of the AATIP investigations.⁵

Bender’s later reporting on the subject included a 2019-04-23 story. According to ‘In Plain Sight’, Bender reported that the United States Navy (USN) was drafting new guidelines for reporting UFOs, in what became the 2019-04 Politico story on new US Navy Unidentified Aerial Phenomena (UAP) reporting guidelines.⁶ A further story, also according to ‘In Plain Sight’, reported on 2021-03-25 that military and intelligence agencies had been accused of stiff-arming investigators on UFO sightings, collected as the 2021-03 Politico story on US Air Force blocking Unidentified Aerial Phenomena (UAP) cataloguing.⁷ Bender said that UFOs were now on the agenda.⁸

Mark Walker told Politico: “While I am encouraged the Under Secretary of the Navy confirmed that UAP encounters are fully investigated, there is frustration with the lack of answers to specific questions about the threat that superior aircraft flying in United States airspace may pose."⁹

According to ‘In Plain Sight’, a Politico story by Robert “Bob” Fish raised one possible theory that a foreign power, perhaps China or Russia, had developed next-generation technologies that could threaten the United States.¹⁰

References (10)

Bryan Bender is Politico's defense editor.
“Bender, who is Politico’s defense editor,”
The Media Loves This UFO Expert Who Says He Worked for an Obscure Pentagon Program. Did He? char:7590-7624 View the source record →
The New York Times broke the AATIP story online on 2017-12-16, followed seconds later by Politico and then the Washington Post.
“The news exploded that afternoon. The New York Times broke the news online and was followed seconds later by Politico, then the Washington Post.”
Imminent: Inside the Pentagon's Hunt for UFOs ch29:21978-22122 View the source record →
Dana White confirmed to Politico that AATIP existed and was run by Luis Elizondo.
““Pentagon spokeswoman Dana White confirmed to Politico that the program existed and was run by Elizondo,” Bryan Bender wrote in December 2017.”
The Media Loves This UFO Expert Who Says He Worked for an Obscure Pentagon Program. Did He? char:6931-7097 View the source record →
White gave that confirmation to Politico before she left the Pentagon.
“Pentagon spokesperson Dana White, who had confirmed my leader role in AATIP for the Politico article, had left the Pentagon.”
Imminent: Inside the Pentagon's Hunt for UFOs ch30:4398-4515 View the source record →
TTSA posted the first two DOD UAP videos in mid-December 2017, timed to coincide with the Politico, Washington Post and New York Times AATIP story.
“The first two were posted in mid-December 2017, timed for impact when Politico, The Washington Post and The New York Times broke the story of the Defence Department's AATIP investigations into UAPs.”
In Plain Sight ch21:20924-21123 View the source record →
Bender reported that the US Navy was drafting new UFO reporting guidelines.
“Bryan Bender, 'U.S. Navy Drafting New Guidelines for Reporting UFOs', Politico, 23 April 2019.”
In Plain Sight ch34:48339-48430 View the source record →
Bender reported that military and intelligence agencies had been accused of stiff-arming UFO investigators.
“Bryan Bender, 'Military and Spy Agencies Accused of Stiff-arming Investigators on UFO Sightings', 25 March 2021.”
In Plain Sight ch34:47995-48102 View the source record →
Bender said UFOs were now on the agenda.
“as Politico's Bryan Bender commented, 'UFOs are now on the agenda.'”
In Plain Sight ch28:26990-27051 View the source record →
Mark Walker told Politico he was frustrated by the lack of answers about the threat posed by superior aircraft in US airspace.
“‘While I am encouraged the Under Secretary of the Navy confirmed that UAP encounters are fully investigated, there is frustration with the lack of answers to specific questions about the threat that superior aircraft flying in United States airspace may pose,’ he told Politico.”
In Plain Sight ch22:9870-10139 View the source record →
A Politico story by Bob Fish raised the theory that a foreign power, perhaps China or Russia, had developed threatening next-generation technologies.
“knowledged that one possible theory to explain the unusual sightings of these unknown craft was 'that a foreign power – perhaps the Chinese or the Russians – had developed next-generation technologies that could threaten the United States'.”
In Plain Sight ch21:19991-20212 View the source record →

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