The Ben Franklin Fellowship: The JUNTO Project Podcast

Marcus Thornton Speaks Out on State Department Retaliation

BFF Fellow Marcus Thornton joins the Ben Franklin Fellowship Junto Podcast to discuss his experience challenging federal COVID vaccine mandates, the creation of Feds for Freedom, whistleblower protections, and the culture of institutional accountability inside the U.S. State Department. Marcus Thornton is a career Foreign Service Officer, former Senior Advisor on the Secretary of State’s Policy Planning Staff, and former Chief of Staff at USAID. Thornton shares firsthand details about litigation that reached the Supreme Court, allegations of retaliation within the Foreign Service, and proposals for reforming the diplomatic corps and federal hiring systems. Topics include: • COVID mandate litigation for federal employees • Whistleblower protections and retaliation • Foreign Service culture and institutional reform • State Department accountability • Meritocracy and diplomatic recruitment • Feds for Freedom and civil service reform Featuring: Phil Linderman and Marcus Thornton The views expressed are those of the participants and do not reflect the official position of the U.S. government.

BFF Fellow Jose Cardenas on Cuba, Venezuela & the Future of U.S. Policy

In this episode, BFF Chairman Phil Linderman sits down with BFF Fellow Jose Cardenas, a Washington, D.C.–based consultant with more than four decades of experience in the U.S. political process and inter-American relations. Cardenas has held senior roles at the U.S. Department of State, the National Security Council, and the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID), where he served as Acting Assistant Administrator for Latin America and the Caribbean. He has also testified before both the Senate Foreign Relations Committee and the House Foreign Affairs Committee. This conversation explores: U.S. policy toward Cuba and Venezuela Strategic challenges in the Western Hemisphere The future of American diplomacy in Latin America Key lessons from decades of foreign policy experience Subscribe to The Ben Franklin Fellowship YouTube Channel for more JUNTO Podcast episodes, speeches, and expert analysis: https://www.youtube.com/@BenFranklinFellowship [https://www.youtube.com/@BenFranklinFellowship] Learn more about The Ben Franklin Fellowship: https://www.benfranklinfellowship.org [https://www.benfranklinfellowship.org]

Ambassador Michael Gfoeller on American Diplomacy and Great Power Competition

The Ben Franklin Fellowship’s JUNTO Podcast features a timely and in-depth conversation with Ambassador Michael Gfoeller — former U.S. Ambassador and senior foreign policy leader—on the future of American diplomacy in an era of renewed great power competition. Drawing on decades of experience in the Foreign Service, Ambassador Gfoeller offers insight into the strategic challenges facing the United States, the evolving role of diplomacy, and the importance of advancing U.S. interests with clarity and purpose. The discussion explores the intersection of diplomacy, national security, and economic statecraft, while also reflecting on the institutional strengths—and areas for reform—within the State Department. As the United States approaches its 250th anniversary, conversations like this underscore the importance of cultivating a new generation of diplomats grounded in experience, seriousness, and a clear understanding of America’s role in the world.

Guarding America’s Front Door: Matt Pierce on Today’s State Department Consular Affairs

The JUNTO Podcast – Featuring BFF Fellow and Acting Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary for Consular Affairs Matt Pierce In this episode, BFF Chairman Phil Linderman sits down with Matt Pierce, BFF Fellow and Acting Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary for Consular Affairs. Matt shares his path to the State Department, his rise through the Consular Affairs bureau, and the challenges and opportunities in today’s passport and visa environment. Matt offers listeners an inside look at how U.S. passport and visa services operate — at headquarters and at posts around the world — and explains what the public should know about the scale and importance of this mission. He also discusses efforts to modernize the passport process, strengthen security, to route out fraud and address vulnerabilities that foreign actors and criminal networks may seek to exploit. The conversation highlights how Consular Affairs shapes passport and citizenship policy in support of America’s national interest, and how the bureau works with partners across government on fraud and security cases. Matt concludes with a message to State Department CA colleagues worldwide about professionalism, service, and the future of U.S. diplomacy.

Rethinking Human Rights at State

In this episode of The JUNTO Podcast, BFF Co-Founder Phil Linderman hosts a conversation with Robert Destro and Al Gombis, both BFF Fellows and longtime State Department officials, on the state of human rights diplomacy in Washington. Robert Destro, former Assistant Secretary for the Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights, and Labor (DRL), and Al Gombis, who served as Senior Official Performing the Duties of the Under Secretary for Civilian Security, Democracy, and Human Rights, share a candid insider’s perspective on how well-intentioned policies have drifted away from America’s founding ideals. Together, they discuss why “human rights” must be refocused around freedom of conscience, individual responsibility, and equal justice under law — and how diplomats can rebuild credibility by linking human rights to measurable progress, not political agendas.