Posted on 09/02/2026 9:01:33 AM PDT by DFG
A Utah software engineer who was recently hired by the Pentagon is under fire after unveiling a database she built to track people with ties to the Democratic Socialists of America (DSA).
Why it matters: Critics say the "DSA Explorer" is an inappropriate use of sensitive political information by a federal employee at best — and amounts to government spying on U.S. citizens at worst.
The other side: Jennica Pounds, the rightwing Utah influencer and data analyst known as DataRepublican, tells Newsweek she created the website as a "personal project" and that it doesn't involve government money or input.
Neither Pounds nor the Department of Defense responded to Axios' request for comment.
Yes, but: As a personality on X, Pounds' focus on military affairs has intensified in recent months — during which she was quietly hired by the Department of Defense in a capacity it has declined to describe.
That's led critics to allege her role at the Pentagon may not set clear barriers between her personal online presence and her government duties.
What they're saying: "The Pentagon is paying an X influencer with your tax dollars — and won't say what she does," Air Force veteran and former Rep. Adam Kinzinger (R-Illinois) posted on X. "... How many more blue-check 'independent' accounts pushing pro-Trump talking points are on the federal payroll right now?"
Catch up quick: Pounds gained fame as DataRepublican, an online data analyst who grew a following last year by developing AI tools that helped guide Elon Musk's massive funding cuts and layoffs under DOGE.
Between the lines: While the DOD won't explain Pounds' current duties, the Washington Post reports this week that she's one of several influencers the military has recently installed in civilian roles.
The Guardian reports that she's been identified as a model for a State Department proposal to hire and train influencers in Asia to promote American interests against Chinese messaging.
"As a matter of longstanding policy, we do not confirm nor comment on purportedly leaked documents," a State Department official writes in a statement to Axios.
The intrigue: Before last week, Pounds' employment wasn't publicly known — and may have stayed under wraps, but for a dispute in August, when Pounds wrongly accused a State Department undersecretary of nefariously trying to leak legally compromising documents.
Pounds' new job surfaced in the aftermath of that argument; the AP confirmed her employment, which she says began in July.
Before that, she held a press credential in the Pentagon press corps, which has faced a shifting array of restrictions and loyalty demands under Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth.
The latest: Pounds launched the DSA database Friday, calling it an "interactive map of the Democratic Socialists of America and the wider anti-imperialist solidarity network."
She says it's "based on over a year's worth of research that's collected within my setup" but also includes a long disclaimer warning it "may contain errors."
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But it’s just fine when they do it, they, Axios?????...
If that beta cuck Kinzinger hates it, I love it.
L
She’s pro-Trump. That makes it OK.
The Obama Adminsitration itself did much worse targeting Conservatives using the IRS. The Mainstream Media, like the Democrat Party, is a part of a concerted effort to undermine and ultimately destroy the United States.
Glad to see she is working for DOD now...exposing those who would undermine US.
Dems (and, Dem plants) have their panties in a wad, over this.
That tells conservatives all we need to know!
I think I read that she’s blind.
I’m sure Axios thinks Lois Lerner was just a nonpartisan, conscientious civil servant.
She’s deaf.
If she was blind, she could not develop code for her projects.
My error. She’s 100% deaf and nonverbal. Hmmmm...
She’s deaf and likely autistic, not blind. And awesome. Anyone here active on X should follow her.
She did a lot of early DOGE work.
‘Nonverbal’ may mean that she just doesn’t speak. Many profoundly deaf people don’t use oral language.
“...and amounts to government spying on U.S. citizens at worst.”
________________________
Not true in the slightest. It is all publicly available data. All she did was put it in a database where people can make sense of the connections.
She just created a mindmap dashboard of links to DSA-related websites and to people ... like links to wikipedia ... scandalous NOT ... the implication of being a “tracker” is just to sensationalize ... then stigmatize ... then ostracize ... same old cancellation crap.
...amounts to government spying on U.S. citizens at worst.
+++++++++++++++++++
Can’t have that now, can we?
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