John Hayward

National Security Deputy Editor

John Hayward

Follow John Hayward

I'm a conservative because there is so much about the American tradition that is worth conserving. I worry that people aren't as frightened of authoritarians and totalitarians as they should be. Freedom and capitalism are inseparable, because without capitalism, freedom just means shouting your opinion and hoping somebody important is listening.

National security, technology, global political and economic strategy

Associate in Arts, Edison Community College, 1986

Hayward has been a writer for Breitbart News Network since 2013. Prior to that, he worked for two decades in computers and business consulting before becoming an amateur blogger under the pseudonym "Doctor Zero" for Hot Air. As he developed a large following, he also received criticism for being an anonymous voice, so he decided to reveal his full name and go public. Shortly thereafter, he began doing radio interviews across the country for his writing and was contacted by Human Events in Washington, D.C. to become a full-time professional columnist.

Management at Breitbart News noticed his work and invited him to join Breitbart.com. Hayward jumped at the opportunity to "join a platform with so much reach, to be a part of something so huge."

Hayward's work has been cited by radio and television outlets from Rush Limbaugh and Mark Levin to Fox News. His essays have been incorporated into several high school and college textbooks, and he gives occasional lectures on media analysis and writing online. He frequently guest-hosts Breitbart News Tonight on SiriusXM channel 125, the Patriot Channel.

Articles by John Hayward

Saudi Arabia Condemns Iranian Attacks on Gulf Nations

Saudi Arabia on Saturday morning strongly condemned Iranian missile attacks against U.S. bases hosted by their Gulf allies, and threatened to take actions if Iran continues violating their sovereignty.

In Warsaw, Poland, on January 26, 2026, Prince Faisal bin Farhan Al Saud, Minister of Fore

China Purges Nine More Military Officers and Ten Legislators Ahead of Annual Congress

China’s rubber-stamp legislature, the National People’s Congress, abruptly dismissed 19 of its deputies Thursday afternoon without explanation, including nine military officers. The move came after dictator Xi Jinping purged a series of high-ranking People’s Liberation Army (PLA) leaders, and only a week before the annual meeting of the Chinese legislature in Beijing.

Chinese President Xi Jinping speaks at the beginning of a bilateral meeting with President

The Growing Signs that Xi Jinping’s Ruthless Purges Are Weakening China’s Military

The London-based International Institute for Strategic Studies (IISS) said on Tuesday that China’s recent purges of military leadership have severely weakened the command structure of the People’s Liberation Army (PLA) and compromised the readiness of Beijing’s military forces – and the purges probably aren’t finished yet.

Thailand's King Maha Vajiralongkorn and Chinese President Xi Jinping (L) review an ho

Indian Prime Minister Modi Visits Israel amid Growing Tensions with Iran

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi began a two-day visit to Israel on Wednesday in what both governments billed as an opportunity to build closer relations by making common cause against terrorism – and which some observers viewed as a ticking clock on potential American action against Iran, since a strike would not be likely until Modi leaves Israel.

Title: Israel India Image ID: 26056570095622 Article: Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi

Zimbabwe Bans Mineral Exports Due to ‘Continued Malpractices’

Zimbabwe’s Minister of Mines and Mining Development, Polite Kambamura, announced on Wednesday that all exports of raw minerals and lithium concentrates would be banned until further notice due to unspecified “continued malpractices” in the mining industry.

Workers inspect an open cast at Arcadia Lithium mine on January 11, 2022 in Goromonzi, Zim

Trump Reunites Venezuelan Family at State of the Union Address

During his 2026 State of the Union address on Tuesday night, President Donald Trump discussed the incredible raid that brought narco-terrorist dictator Hugo Chavez to justice — and he hosted a surprise reunion between a political prisoner of the Chavez regime and his niece.

Former Venezuelan presidential candidate and recently released political prisoner Enrique

Iran Holds Military Drills Ahead of Trump’s State of the Union Address

Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) held military drills on Tuesday, reportedly including tests for new weapons, even as top military official Ali Larijani was preparing to deliver Iran’s latest response in negotiations with the United States, and President Donald Trump was preparing to deliver his State of the Union (SOTU) address.

HORMOZGAN, IRAN - FEBRUARY 19: (----EDITORIAL USE ONLY - MANDATORY CREDIT - 'IRANIAN ARMY

Brazil Cuts Mineral Deals with India and South Korea

Brazil and India finalized a deal on critical minerals and rare earths on Saturday, followed by an agreement between Brazil and South Korea on Monday to increase their cooperation on minerals, technology, cultural exchange, and trade.

Title: India Brazil Image ID: 26052230290683 Article: Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi

India Joins U.S. Initiative to Build Secure Technology Supply Chains

India on Friday joined the Pax Silica framework, a U.S.-led effort to create a secure supply chain for critical technologies that would be immune to meddling from China. India’s membership had been in doubt due to trade tensions with the United States under President Donald Trump.

Attendees at the AI Impact Summit in New Delhi, India, on Friday, Feb. 20, 2026. India kic

Japanese PM Takaichi Stands Against Chinese ‘Coercion,’ Promises New Defense Strategy

Japanese Prime Minister Takaichi Sanae on Friday delivered her first speech to parliament since her party’s landslide victory in snap elections. She promised to stand firm against growing Chinese “coercion” and craft a new national defense strategy to address the “most severe and complex security environment since World War 2.”

TOPSHOT - The flag of the Japanese Maritime Self-Defense Force (MSDF) flutters in the wind

India’s A.I. Summit Disaster Features Snubs, Billionaire Bails, and Chinese Robot Cheating

India sought to make a splash in the world’s fastest-growing tech industry this week by hosting an A.I. Impact Summit in New Delhi, with a who’s-who of industry leaders and artificial intelligence visionaries on the guest list. The summit was a public-relations disaster, because the government of Prime Minister Narendra Modi evidently underestimated how much rivalry and personal animosity exists in the A.I. world.

India's Prime Minister Narendra Modi (L) takes a group photo with AI company leaders

Gabon Shuts Down Social Media as Threat to National Security

The Central African nation of Gabon on Wednesday announced it was suspending some social media platforms for spreading “inappropriate, defamatory, hateful, and abusive” content that was allegedly threatening “social cohesion, the stability of the republic’s institutions, and national security.”

Residents watch as the motorcade of France's President Emmanuel Macron passes by in Gabon