# Ben Domenech

> Ben Domenech is a conservative writer, publisher, and broadcaster who co-founded The Federalist in 2013 and now serves as opinion editor of The Daily Wire. A teenage prodigy who wrote a National Review Online column before he could legally drink, he became the youngest political appointee in the George W. Bush administration, then built a career as one of the most prolific and combative voices on the American right. He is a Fox News contributor, hosts The Big Ben Show podcast, publishes the insider newsletter The Transom, and is married to TV personality Meghan McCain.

- **Role:** Opinion Editor at The Daily Wire
- **Organizations:** The Daily Wire, Fox News, The Transom, The Federalist, The Spectator World, RedState
- **From:** Jackson, Mississippi, USA
- **Nationality:** American
- **Education:** Attended (left before senior year), College of William & Mary
- **Known for:** Co-founded The Federalist, which The New York Times called one of the biggest media breakouts of the culture-war era, Became one of the youngest political appointees in a U.S. presidential administration, Published a nationally syndicated opinion column as a teenager

## Career timeline

- **Late 1990s** — Began punditry as a teenager with the column 'Any Given Sunday' for National Review Online
- **Early 2000s** — Became one of the youngest political appointees in the George W. Bush administration; speechwriter for HHS Secretary Tommy Thompson
- **2000s** — Chief speechwriter for U.S. Senator John Cornyn (R-TX) for two years; editor at Regnery Publishing
- **2006** — Hired by The Washington Post to write the 'Red America' blog; resigned after three days amid plagiarism allegations
- **2009-2012** — Managing editor for health care policy at The Heartland Institute; editor-in-chief of The City journal
- **2009-2014** — Created and hosted the 'Coffee and Markets' free-market podcast
- **2013** — Co-founded The Federalist with Sean Davis and Luke Sherman; served as publisher and hosted The Federalist Radio Hour
- **2014** — Named a Claremont Institute Lincoln Fellow
- **2017** — Married Meghan McCain at the McCain family ranch in Page Springs, Arizona
- **2021** — Joined Fox News as a contributor; began hosting a weekly podcast for the network
- **2022** — Became editor at large of The Spectator World
- **2026** — Joined The Daily Wire as opinion editor

## Achievements

- Co-founded The Federalist, which The New York Times called one of the biggest media breakouts of the culture-war era
- Became one of the youngest political appointees in a U.S. presidential administration
- Published a nationally syndicated opinion column as a teenager
- Built The Transom into a must-read subscription newsletter for political insiders
- Edited books by Michelle Malkin, Ramesh Ponnuru, and Hugh Hewitt at Regnery Publishing
- Claremont Institute Lincoln Fellow (2014)
- Named opinion editor of The Daily Wire in 2026

## Latest updates

- **2026-02** — Joined The Daily Wire as opinion editor, declaring he aimed to build 'the best opinion page in America.'
- **2026-01** — Welcomed a son, Ransom McCain Domenech, his third child with Meghan McCain.
- **2025-12** — Continued hosting The Big Ben Show podcast, breaking down fractures inside the American right.

## Links

- Website: https://thetransom.com
- Twitter/X: https://x.com/bdomenech
- YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLWlNiiSXX4BMC0wn3Iv9WXilYR0ot5clz

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Profile page: https://yespress.io/ben-domenech
Published by YesPress — https://yespress.io
Last updated: 2026-06-02