Utah's "DataRepublican" launches socialist tracker
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The "DSA Explorer," created by Utah software engineer and rightwing personality Jennica Pounds, purports to connect various groups and activists on the political left. Screenshot: DataRepublican.com
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."