He's a secondary source that independently verifies facts. He has connections with people like Chelsea Manning and many other sources of information and knowledge. He is a part of several mutual aid groups that also provide him with information. He served in the military for 20 years. He's not just "a guy in a basement", that's a studio set made to look like his shed. He specializes in deprogramming MAGA conservatives by making his videos appear like a MAGA "news" source (as a consequence, finding a specific video from him is difficult)