Independent Voices from the Northwest Take the National Stage
Crime & Safety
October 22, 2025

Independent Voices from the Northwest Take the National Stage

Last week, independent journalists from across the country joined President Trump at the White House for a first-of-its-kind conversation about free speech, media bias, and the growing threat of political extremism. Among those invited to share their stories were two familiar faces to all of you on the Future 42 list and anyone following what’s really happening in Seattle: Brandi Kruse and Jonathan Choe.

For the last couple of years, both Kruse and Choe have reported from the ground in Seattle — often in places where legacy media cameras never show up. Their coverage of homelessness, public safety, and political violence has pulled back the curtain on what many local leaders would rather keep hidden.

At the White House event, Kruse delivered a powerful message. Drawing from her experience covering years of protests and political unrest in the Pacific Northwest, she spoke candidly about the dangers faced by journalists who challenge activist violence.

“I genuinely believe there would be people at these tables who would be dead today had you not called [Antifa] a terror organization,” Kruse told the President. Her words carried the weight of someone who has witnessed firsthand how destructive ideologically motivated violence can become when ignored by those in power.

Jonathan Choe, another Seattle-based independent journalist who is with The Discovery Instiute, also made an impression. Choe has spent years exposing the intersections between extremist activism, homelessness policy, and public spending. At the roundtable, he presented his research into how public dollars can indirectly fuel extremist groups and lawlessness in cities like Seattle and Portland.

“Antifa is benefiting from American tax dollars,” Choe said, urging national leaders to take a closer look at how taxpayer-funded nonprofits and activist networks operate under the radar.

Both Kruse and Choe represent a new era of journalism — one that values transparency over partisanship and courage over comfort. Their work reminds audiences that truth-telling doesn’t depend on a traditional media newsroom badge, but on a willingness to confront reality, even when it’s inconvenient.

They weren’t alone. The event also featured other Northwest voices like Cam Hibgy, Andy Ngo, Nick Shirley, Katie Daviscourt who have endured years of violence and intimidation for documenting extremist activity in Seattle and Portland. Their stories highlight a shared commitment to exposing what’s happening in America’s cities, even when doing so comes at personal cost.

The White House discussion was as much about free speech as it was about public safety — a chance to hear directly from those who have been on the front lines of unrest, not behind a desk or in a distant studio. In an age when traditional media narratives often obscure on-the-ground realities, it was striking to see journalists who’ve built their followings independently now being recognized on a national stage.

For viewers in Washington state and across the Pacific Northwest, the message was clear: you don’t need to wait for the mainstream press to tell you what’s happening in your own backyard. You can follow the reporters who are out there every day documenting it.

Independent journalism is thriving — not because it’s easy, but because it’s necessary. Kruse, Choe, and others are proving that when institutions fall silent, determined individuals can still cut through the noise and deliver the truth.

If you want to stay informed about what’s really happening in Seattle and beyond, follow Brandi Kruse (who also produces weekly content for Future 42) and Jonathan Choe on X, Fix Homelessness, and other platforms. Their coverage offers something rare: firsthand reporting, unfiltered and unafraid.

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