Seven Washington Post Articles in 30 Days: Documenting the Coordinated Campaign
The Gist
Between October 6 and November 6, 2025, the Washington Post published seven articles attacking VA disability compensation. The timing wasn’t random: SSDI cuts were proposed October 5, a Senate hearing occurred October 29, and Medicaid cuts followed November 5-6. One article extensively referenced Combat Craig—who died August 11—proving these pieces were pre-written and held for strategic release. This is textbook coordination: sustained media campaign, Congressional hearing for the official record, simultaneous attacks on multiple benefit programs. Veterans aren’t the only target—we’re the test case for over $1 trillion in cuts to disabled Americans. Here’s the timeline, the evidence, and why it matters.
Comments are open. Share what you’re seeing, add evidence I missed, or challenge the coordination argument. Documentation matters.
The 30-Day Timeline
Here are the documented facts. These aren’t speculation—these are public events with dates and sources.
Week 1: The Opening Salvo
October 5, 2025: Trump administration budget proposes $82 billion in SSDI cuts
Source: NPR
October 6, 2025: Washington Post launches series
October 8, 2025: Washington Post continues
Week 2-3: Building the Case
October 29, 2025: Senate Veterans Affairs Committee hearing
Daniel Gade testifies that VA disability “robs veterans of purpose”
VA Office of Inspector General testifies fraud rate is 0.007%
October 30, 2025: Washington Post follows up
Week 4: The Finish
November 5, 2025: Washington Post publishes major piece
“The unregulated industry that coaches veterans to pile on benefits”
Problem: Article extensively references Combat Craig (Louis Bower) as if he’s still alive
Reality: Combat Craig died August 11, 2025
Proof: This article was pre-written and held for November release
November 5-6, 2025: Medicaid cut proposals announced
November 6, 2025: Washington Post caps the series
“Why VA pays more in disability for sleep apnea than it does for some lost limbs”
“How some veterans exploit the VA disability system” (video)
November 11, 2025: Damage control
Daniel Gade does Veterans Day interview attempting to soften his message
Why This Proves Coordination
1. The Pre-Written Article
The November 5 Washington Post article about “unregulated industry” repeatedly references Combat Craig. The article discusses him in present tense, quotes his videos, treats him as an active figure in the veteran claims industry.
Combat Craig died on August 11, 2025—nearly three months before publication.
This means:
The article was substantially written before his death
It was held and updated (likely when they discovered he’d died)
It was released on schedule as part of the campaign
The timing wasn’t organic journalism—it was planned
2. The Strategic Senate Hearing Placement
The October 29 Senate hearing didn’t happen in isolation. It was strategically placed:
Three weeks after the Washington Post series began (media primed the public)
One week before the final wave of articles (official Congressional record established)
Same day as OMB discussions about budget cuts
The hearing provided the official government record that media could reference. It wasn’t investigating the media claims—it was validating them for the official record.
3. The Simultaneous Multi-Program Attack
Look at what happened in the same 30-day window:
October 5: SSDI cuts proposed ($82B)
October 6-November 6: VA disability media campaign (7 articles)
November 5-6: Medicaid cuts proposed ($880B-$1.1T)
Three completely different benefit programs, administered by different agencies, serving different populations—all targeted with the same “fraud and abuse” narrative in the same month.
That’s not coincidence. That’s coordination.
4. The Same Tactics Across Programs
Every program attack uses identical framing:
“Look at the growth!”
VA: “193 billion program has exploded”
SSDI: “Unsustainable growth”
Medicaid: “Out of control spending”
“The system is being gamed!”
VA: “Veterans exploit lax controls”
SSDI: “Disability fraud crisis”
Medicaid: “Waste and abuse”
“We can’t afford it!”
While announcing: $150B defense increase, $30B ICE budget (tripled), $4T in tax cuts
Same playbook. Same messaging. Same timing. Different targets.
The Money Trail
Let’s be clear about what’s actually happening with federal spending:
What they’re cutting:
VA Disability: $163 billion (total program)
SSDI: $82 billion (proposed cuts)
Medicaid: $880B-$1.1 trillion (proposed cuts)
Total cuts to disabled Americans: $1+ trillion
What they’re increasing:
Defense FY2026: $150 billion increase (13% raise)
ICE budget FY2026: Tripled to $30 billion (from $10.4B)
Tax Cuts and Jobs Act extension: $4 trillion
Sources: Defense News, House Appropriations Committee
This isn’t about affordability. It’s about priorities.
The VA Inspector General’s Inconvenient Truth
During the October 29 Senate hearing, the VA Office of Inspector General testified about fraud in VA disability compensation.
The fraud rate: 0.007%
Not 7%. Not 0.7%. Zero point zero zero seven percent.
Source: VA OIG Testimony (PDF)
The Inspector General’s entire job is finding fraud. They actively look for it. They have investigative authority, access to all records, and a mandate to root out waste, fraud, and abuse.
They found essentially none.
Yet seven Washington Post articles, a Senate hearing, and simultaneous cuts to three benefit programs all proceed as if there’s a fraud crisis.
Why Veterans Are the Test Case
Veterans have maximum political protection. We’re one of the most sympathetic groups in America. Cutting veteran benefits is politically dangerous.
If they can successfully undermine public support for veteran benefits using the “fraud and abuse” narrative, they can apply the same playbook to:
Social Security Disability recipients (less protected)
Medicaid beneficiaries (even less protected)
Medicare recipients (you’re next)
Unemployment insurance (after that)
The strategy: Start with the hardest target. If you can cut benefits for wounded warriors who earned them through military service, cutting benefits for everyone else becomes trivial.
You have less moral authority than veterans. You have less political protection. If they succeed with us, yours are next.
The Role Players
Washington Post
Published 7 articles in 30 days
Pre-wrote content and held for strategic release
Provided sustained media pressure
Created “everybody knows” narrative
Senate Veterans Affairs Committee
Held hearing at strategic midpoint
Selected witnesses to support predetermined narrative
Created official Congressional record
Provided legitimacy for media narrative
Daniel Gade
Former White House veteran policy advisor
Virginia Veterans Services Commissioner (2022-2024)
Expert witness with wounded veteran credentials
Testified system “robs veterans of purpose”
Revealed in Veterans Day interview: “I don’t identify really as a veteran”
The Timing
All pieces moved in concert:
Media created public narrative
Senate created official record
Budget proposals followed immediately
Damage control attempted when backlash emerged
What This Means for Other Benefit Programs
The same infrastructure being used against veterans is already deployed against SSDI and Medicaid:
SSDI:
Same “growth = abuse” narrative
Same “unverifiable conditions” claims
Same “helping them helps nobody” framing
Proposed cuts: $82 billion
Medicaid:
Same “fraud and waste” accusations
Same “unsustainable spending” argument
Same timing (announced during VA campaign)
Proposed cuts: $880B-$1.1T
Once the precedent is established—that benefit recipients are suspect, that programs must be radically restructured, that fraud justifies massive cuts—it applies everywhere.
The tactics are portable. The infrastructure is reusable. The political permission structure, once established, doesn’t expire.
The Evidence of Pre-Planning
Combat Craig Article Proves It
The November 5 article extensively discusses Combat Craig’s business model, videos, and influence. It treats him as an active figure.
He died August 11.
This proves:
Article was written before August 11 (or shortly after)
It was held for nearly three months
It was released on schedule as part of a series
The timing was planned, not reactive
The Series Structure Proves It
Seven articles don’t just happen to publish across 30 days by accident. Someone:
Assigned the stories
Coordinated the reporting
Scheduled the releases
Timed them around the Senate hearing
Held some back for strategic release
That’s not journalism responding to events. That’s a coordinated communications campaign.
The Multi-Program Timing Proves It
SSDI, VA disability, and Medicaid are administered by completely different agencies:
Social Security Administration (SSDI)
Department of Veterans Affairs (VA disability)
Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (Medicaid)
Yet all three faced cut proposals in the same 30-day window, using identical “fraud and abuse” framing.
That requires coordination at a level above individual agencies. Someone orchestrated the timing across departments.
What You Can Do
1. Recognize This Is Happening
Don’t treat veterans, SSDI, and Medicaid as separate issues. This is one coordinated campaign with multiple targets.
2. Document the Pattern
Save these articles
Screenshot the dates
Note the identical language
Track the timing
Share the timeline
3. Counter the Narrative
When someone says “VA disability fraud crisis”:
Ask for evidence (VA OIG says 0.007%)
Ask about the timing (why now, with seven articles in 30 days?)
Ask about the money (why cuts here but increases for defense and ICE?)
4. Understand You’re Next
Even if you’re not:
A veteran
On disability
Receiving Medicaid
This establishes precedent for attacking all social safety net programs. Your benefits, whatever they are, follow the same trajectory once veterans’ benefits are successfully cut.
5. Contact Your Representatives
Find yours: https://www.congress.gov/contact-us
Sample script: “Hi, I’m calling about the coordinated campaign to cut VA disability, SSDI, and Medicaid. Seven Washington Post articles, a Senate hearing, and benefit cut proposals all happened in 30 days. The VA Inspector General reports fraud at 0.007%. This isn’t about fraud—it’s about budget cuts for disabled Americans while defense increases $150B and tax cuts cost $4T. I’m asking [Representative/Senator Name] to oppose these cuts and to investigate the coordination. Thank you.”
Sources
Timeline Documentation:
NPR: Trump Budget Proposes Cuts: https://www.npr.org/2025/05/02/nx-s1-5384318/trump-budget-cuts
CNN: Trump Budget Slashes Programs: https://www.cnn.com/2025/05/02/politics/trump-budget-proposal-defense-spending
Senate GOP Budget Plan: https://www.npr.org/2025/04/05/g-s1-58281/senate-budget-resolution-reconciliation-trump
Washington Post Series:
Congressional Record:
Senate Veterans Affairs Committee hearing: https://www.veterans.senate.gov/hearings/examining-the-continued-growth-in-va-disability-compensation
VA Office of Inspector General Testimony: https://www.vaoig.gov/VA%20OIG%20Statement%20for%2010%2029%20SVAC%20hearing.pdf
Budget Documentation:
Defense News: House Passes Trump Megabill ($150B defense): https://www.defensenews.com/congress/2025/07/03/house-passes-trump-megabill-with-150-billion-in-military-funding/
House Appropriations FY2026 Homeland Security Bill: https://appropriations.house.gov/sites/evo-subsites/republicans-appropriations.house.gov/files/evo-media-document/fy26-homeland-security-bill-summary.pdf
Related Analysis:
The Gade Contradiction: When the Expert Witness Doesn’t Identify as a Veteran (Tbird’s Quiet Fight, Nov 12, 2025)
Daniel Gade Veterans Day Interview (Veterans Info Tap, Nov 11, 2025)
The Bottom Line
Seven Washington Post articles in 30 days. One pre-written and held for strategic release. A Senate hearing placed strategically in the middle. Simultaneous cuts proposed for three different benefit programs. All using identical “fraud and abuse” language.
That’s not journalism uncovering a scandal. That’s coordinated infrastructure for policy change.
Veterans are the test case. The tactics are documented. The timeline is clear. The money trail is obvious.
What happens next depends on whether enough people recognize the pattern and push back before the cuts become permanent.
This is documented. This is happening now. Share it.
Next article: The 11 tactics being used across all three benefit programs, and how to counter each one with facts. Sunday, November 17.