The Dispute Index

Ben Rhodes

Portrait of Ben Rhodes
The White House

American writer and foreign-policy commentator, formerly deputy national security adviser for strategic communications, and co-host of Pod Save the World.

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What we have documented

We have documented 2 statements by Ben Rhodes, in 2 cases. Each statement below gives the quotation, its original source and a link to the full case.

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Statements by Ben Rhodes

Portrait of Ben Rhodes

Ben Rhodes

Role at the time: Former deputy national security adviser and foreign-policy commentator, as a guest on MS NOW's "On the Line with Alicia Menendez"

Condemned

Statement summary

Ben Rhodes, a former deputy national security adviser, said on MS NOW that Hegseth's focus on a waist-to-height requirement for attendees was "just really weird" and "a ridiculous way for him to be spending time and attention" during the Iran war.

“And let's just be honest, Alicia, it's just really weird.”
Watch the original video (opens in a new tab)18 dead, dozens of aircraft destroyed in Iran and what is Hegseth focused on? 'Impeccable grooming' · MS NOWMS NOW official YouTube channel, On the Line with Alicia Menendez segment uploaded September 16, 2026 (7:42). Ben Rhodes's answer runs from 4:32 to 6:56; quoted passages at 5:54–5:59 and 6:47–6:56.
Why we used this label

Rhodes calls the focus on them "just really weird" and "a ridiculous way for him to be spending time and attention", which rejects both the criteria and the priority they reflect. The closest competing label, “Challenged the characterization”, loses because he assesses the merits rather than disputing how the criteria are described.

Read statementFull case: Were the Pentagon's Fitness and Grooming Requirements for Hegseth's Speech Appropriate?
Portrait of Ben Rhodes

Ben Rhodes

Role at the time: Writer and foreign-policy commentator, former deputy national security adviser, posting on X

Defended or excused

Statement summary

Quote-posting a report that Ed Sheeran had lost all his supporting acts, Ben Rhodes argued that using power and wealth to suppress dissent backfires, and criticised stadium owners for telling audiences what they may think.

“When your only response to dissent is to use power and wealth to make it go away, you are going to have the opposite effect. People can see what’s happening in the Middle East with their eyes and don’t want to be told what they’re allowed to think by people who own stadiums.”
Read the original post (opens in a new tab)Ben Rhodes on the response to dissent over Macklemore’s removalPost by @brhodes timestamped 9:17 p.m. ET, September 15, 2026 (2026-09-16T01:17:02Z), quote-posting Consequence’s item “Ed Sheeran is now without any opening acts or a backing band.”
Why we used this label

Relative to Macklemore’s MetLife speech and his removal, Rhodes casts the response to that speech as an attempt to use power and wealth to make dissent disappear, and rejects the idea that stadium owners should determine what audiences may think. He defends the speech and criticises those who pressed for the removal. The quote-posted item about Sheeran losing his supporting acts establishes the connection to this dispute rather than to the wider conflict.

Read statementFull case: Macklemore’s “Free Palestine” speech and removal from Ed Sheeran’s U.S. tour

A participant is a subject of the case. A speaker has a statement documented in it. A commentator has an opinion or editorial documented in it.

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