EXCLUSIVE: SSA Rejects Whistleblower Claims, Slams Alleged Release Of Sensitive Data As ‘Highly Irresponsible’
'Actively mitigating the risk'
Is Elon Musk ditching his America Party dream for a GOP power play?
Elon Musk may be reconsidering his aspirations for a third political party after concerns from conservatives that it could divert votes from the Republican Party.
A Tuesday report from the Wall Street Journal indicated that Musk is "quietly pumping the brakes" on the formation of the America Party and may instead support another Republican politician.
'Nothing @WSJ says should ever be thought of as true.'
In late June, amid Musk's falling-out with President Donald Trump over the One Big Beautiful Bill Act, the Tesla CEO called for "an alternative to the Democrat-Republican uniparty so that the people actually have a VOICE."
"If this insane spending bill passes, the America Party will be formed the next day," Musk declared.
Several Republican politicians, including Florida Governor Ron DeSantis, warned Musk that a third party would likely act as a spoiler, ultimately benefiting the Democratic Party.
RELATED: Is Elon’s America Party really a threat to Republicans?
According to the WSJ's report citing anonymous sources, it appears that Musk is considering that advice. Musk has reportedly told his allies that he plans to concentrate on his businesses and does not want to alienate Republicans, particularly Vice President JD Vance, by forming a third party.
The news outlet reported that Musk and Vance have been in touch in recent weeks. Musk has allegedly stated to close allies that he would back Vance should he decide to run for president in 2028.
"Musk's allies said he hasn't formally ruled out creating a new party and could change his mind as the midterm elections near," the WSJ stated.
However, Musk reportedly canceled a July call with a group that specializes in organizing third-party campaigns, and he has not recently engaged with individuals who have expressed interest in the America Party.
RELATED: 'TRAIN WRECK': Trump blasts Elon Musk over anti-MAGA campaign, new 'moderate' party
Charlie Kirk responded to the WSJ's report in a post on social media.
"Elon Musk is reportedly reconsidering his bid to launch a third party and instead put his support behind Vice President JD Vance should he decide to run, per a new report from the WSJ. Will have to wait for confirmation from Elon, but this would be very positive news for the country if true," Kirk wrote.
When reached for comment, a spokesperson for Vance directed the WSJ to the vice president's recent interview with the Gateway Pundit, during which he stated he hopes Musk will "come back into the fold" during the midterm elections.
While Musk did not respond to a request for comment from the WSJ, he dismissed the outlet's reporting in a post on X.
"Nothing @WSJ says should ever be thought of as true," he wrote without elaborating further.
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If red states can’t deliver DOGE promises, what can they deliver?
The DOGE revolution has identified federal waste, forced Washington politicians to rethink their spending habits, and exposed the decades-long crusade by Democrats to funnel taxpayer money into activism. In a state like North Dakota — a deep-red stronghold — you’d expect Republicans to seize November’s America First mandate and gut bloated budgets.
Think again. Too many unprincipled legislators are choking on the swamp’s fumes, betraying the voters who rejected the status quo. It’s time to call them out.
Politicians care more about re-election and climbing the ladder than they do about your wallet. They’ll dodge tough cuts to keep their seats, leaving taxpayers to foot the bill.
North Dakota’s Legislative Task Force on Government Efficiency — a state-level DOGE — was established by House Bill 1442 to tackle the state’s $20.3 billion 2025-27 budget. The mission: Slash waste, end duplication, and put taxpayers first.
For fiscal conservatives, it looked like a dream come true. But after its first meeting July 30, conservatives are sounding the alarm. This committee is packed with spendaholics who will keep the gravy train rolling for as long as they can.
If we want real cuts, we need to stop coddling politicians and start fighting in Republican primaries.
Some get it; some don’t
Credit where it’s due: the leadership is solid. Chairman Rep. Nathan Toman (R-Mandan) is a budget hawk. Vice Chairman Sen. Chuck Walen (R-New Town) has a good record with his conservative base. Both men understand that North Dakota’s budget bloat calls for a chainsaw, not a Band-Aid.
But their grit is drowned out by a committee built to fail — thanks to GOP leaders afraid of losing votes by cutting unnecessary funds. Legislative Management appointed Senate Minority Leader Kathy Hogan (D-Fargo), a Democrat who has never met a spending bill she didn’t love, especially in human services and health care. Her role is to protect the status quo, not shrink it.
RELATED: Don’t let rural America become the next New York City
Then there are Republican Reps. Glenn Bosch and Robin Weisz — appropriations loyalists who rubber-stamped 99% of the state budget. They are not reformers. Expecting them to cut waste is like asking a fox to guard the henhouse.
State problem, national roots
This isn’t just North Dakota’s mess — it’s politics everywhere. Red-state Republicans talk tough about fiscal discipline but crumble when the time comes to act. Why? Cutting spending risks votes, dries up PAC money for re-election, and alienates lobbyists.
It’s why North Dakota GOP leaders play nice with Hogan. It’s why Bosch and Weisz keep the spending spigot open. And it’s why our $36.2 trillion national debt keeps climbing.
Politicians care more about re-election and climbing the ladder than they do about your wallet. They’ll dodge tough cuts to keep their seats, leaving taxpayers to foot the bill.
The only fix: Primaries
The DOGE is a great idea. But across red states, task forces like North Dakota's stall when Republicans fear backlash more than they fear waste. Without legislators willing to fight, this will become another powerless committee generating reports nobody reads.
The fix? Get serious in Republican primaries.
In North Dakota, Citizens Alliance is backing challengers to big spenders like Bosch, Weisz, and their allies. In Pennsylvania, the group has added more than 55,000 GOP voters — 250 per day — because primaries are the contact sport that scares RINOs straight. In Idaho, Citizens Alliance helped oust Senate President Pro Tempore Chuck Winder in 2024 and backs more than 40 lawmakers with proven conservative records.
North Dakota needs that same fire if it wants the state task force on government efficiency to roar instead of roll over. Republicans who dodge the DOGE mandate aren’t just failing — they’re betraying voters who demanded lasting reform. If they can’t bring a bulldozer to budget bloat, they don’t belong in leadership.
MAGA meets the machine: Trump goes all in on AI
The technology once confined to science fiction has now become reality, and its impact will be revolutionary. When artificial intelligence first broke through, many MAGA supporters reacted with suspicion. They saw it as another weapon for woke elites — a way to erase inconvenient facts and reshape public opinion, potentially with government support.
President Donald Trump acted to block that threat. His recent executive order directs the federal government to contract only with AI companies that “prioritize truthfulness and ideological neutrality.”
A MAGA-aligned council of AI policy experts will make the next golden age of American exceptionalism possible.
That’s a strong start, but MAGA weakens itself if it treats AI solely as a threat. I learned that firsthand, working in the field before most people even knew what AI was. It’s coming whether we like it or not.
Meanwhile, other nations — including enemies such as China — have committed to developing AI. If they reach artificial superintelligence first, the consequences could be catastrophic. Our technologists understand the stakes. America must lead in this arena, not trail behind.
Winning over MAGA
Despite what’s at stake, MAGA has a dearth of people who support or even understand AI — at least, until recently, when President Trump delivered remarks at the “Winning the AI Race” summit hosted by the "All-In" podcast at the Hill and Valley Forum.
That change is monumental. Imagine a few years ago, when an AI bot put you in TikTok prison for violating the site’s “terms of service” — as I was — and someone told you that a re-elected Donald Trump would participate in an AI summit with the big Silicon Valley companies and MAGA-aligned leaders.
That’s why people like James Burnham are key to bridging the gap between the Silicon Valley and the MAGA base.
Burnham bridging the gap
At the summit, I met with Burnham, a former senior lawyer at the Department of Government Efficiency and now head of the AI Innovation Council, to talk about MAGA’s role in shaping the future of artificial intelligence.
He may share the name of the author of “Suicide of the West” — a man often called the intellectual godfather of neoreaction and one of the first practitioners of psychological warfare — but the resemblance ends there. This Burnham is an unapologetic optimist, a happy warrior, and an original MAGA activist determined to unite the movement’s best minds with the tech right.
His goal: Mend fences and help define AI policy for the years ahead.
“I was there when Trump went down the golden escalator,” Burnham told me. “My hope is that I can help bridge the gap between true MAGA and the tech right.”
Some might see him as an unlikely figure for the role, given that his enthusiasm for AI matches that of Silicon Valley’s most bullish innovators. But for Burnham, advancing American AI is more than a defensive measure against hostile nations. It’s an opportunity to create America’s next golden age.
As he told the New York Post: “Artificial intelligence is a revolutionary technology with the potential to make the United States wealthier and greater than it has ever been.”
The AI we deserve
Burnham’s perspective is not exactly shared by much of MAGA — and understandably so. After all, as recently as last year, we were terrified that woke tech companies would use AI to clamp down on our speech. Having had that experience, our instinct might be to try to kill the technology in its crib.
RELATED: The AI takeover isn’t coming — it’s already here
But that’s simply not realistic — and not just because China will develop AI without us. The Silicon Valley’s left will then seize the mantle of the future. We can’t allow that to happen, not least of all because the left doesn’t deserve that kind of credit. All leftists want out of AI is the world’s smartest and most vigilant woke hall monitor.
America can — and must — do better than that.
But if we’re going to do better, we need the tech world to be willing to talk to us. That’s why people like Burnham are so critical. You win more flies with honey than with vinegar — just ask AIs themselves.
Unlike AI, however, a MAGA-aligned council of AI policy experts won’t just flatter the people it engages with. It will make the next golden age of American exceptionalism possible.
DC’s crime problem is much worse than you think
After building a reputation for cutting federal jobs in Washington, D.C., the Department of Government Efficiency is now tied to an expansion of federal authority.
President Trump announced Monday he would take over Washington’s Metropolitan Police Department and deploy the National Guard — an unprecedented move that came less than a week after photos of a shirtless, bloodied 19-year-old former DOGE employee went viral. The president declared August 11 “Liberation Day” and vowed to end violent crime and homeless encampments in the nation’s capital.
Our nation’s capital should project security and order to the nation and the world. It must be made safe again.
Trump’s detractors immediately pointed out that violent crime, including shootings and homicides, has been falling in the district. They’re right — on paper. Violent crime is down 26% this year, according to the city’s own numbers. But those figures are under scrutiny after accusations that officials manipulated the data.
Homicides, which are harder to fudge, are down 12%: 99 killings through August 11 compared to 112 during the same period in 2024.
Numbers alone, however, can’t capture the lived reality. Having spent the last year of my 15-year career in D.C. at the city’s Office of Gun Violence Prevention, I spoke with residents desperate for change. One man told me he and his pregnant wife dove to the floor when a bullet smashed through their window. Another woman worked with neighbors to demand more police patrols. Their frustrations highlight the fact that crime isn’t just a local issue but a hyperlocal one.
One activist I met has kept a memorial wall for homicide victims in his apartment since the 1990s. Some of the kids he mentored, he said, cherished the photos and videos because they were the only images they had of their fathers. In D.C., more than 60% of murders happen in just two of the city’s eight wards — far from tourist landmarks and high-end retail stores. Last August, a Democrat council member from one of those neighborhoods called for the National Guard himself after a wave of shootings.
Yet, those communities — overwhelmingly poor and black — rarely drive the political conversation about crime. Conservatives, like progressives, focus on the violence and vagrancy near their offices, homes, and favorite restaurants. That’s not a criticism; it’s human nature.
Everyone wants to feel safe where they live, work, and visit. But people from places where one murder makes front-page news can’t easily grasp how easy it is to grow numb to constant violence and disorder.
RELATED: Legacy media’s bogus defense of DC’s safe-streets narrative crumbles under scrutiny
The left has its own contradictions. Leftists had no problem with the FBI combing through a NASCAR garage when they thought driver Bubba Wallace had been the target of a hate crime. More than 90% of D.C.’s homicide victims are black, yet racial inequality in violent crime barely registers among self-described antiracists.
Likewise, in 2021, commentator Roland Martin demanded a federal crackdown on “white domestic terrorism.” But he didn’t explain how many murder victims in D.C., Baltimore, St. Louis, Memphis, Philadelphia, Atlanta, New Orleans, or Chicago were killed by skinheads or neo-Nazis.
Whether the federal takeover will reduce crime remains to be seen. Conservatives frustrated by the government’s inability to produce the Epstein files might be overestimating how quickly crime can be cleaned up. Real change will require coordination across every level of government.
Still, my hope is simple: that whatever is done in D.C. will make it safer for residents, workers, and visitors alike. Our capital should project security and order to the nation and the world. It must be made safe again.
No more ‘Mr. Nice Guy’: Trump plans to reclaim DC amid crime chaos
The White House announced measures to address the ongoing crime crisis in Washington, D.C., after repeated warnings from President Donald Trump about a potential federal government intervention.
In early July, Trump noted his disappointment with the crime rates, stating, "We could run D.C."
'There will be no "MR. NICE GUY."'
"We're thinking about doing it, to be honest with you," he continued. "We want a capital that's run flawlessly, and it wouldn't be hard for us to do it."
This past week, Trump repeated those threats after Edward Coristine, an engineer also known as "Big Balls" who previously worked for the Department of Government Efficiency, was brutally beaten by a group of individuals while protecting a woman from an attempted carjacking near Dupont Circle.
Trump wrote in a post on social media, "Crime in Washington, D.C., is totally out of control. Local 'youths' and gang members, some only 14, 15, and 16-years-old, are randomly attacking, mugging, maiming, and shooting innocent Citizens, at the same time knowing that they will be almost immediately released. They are not afraid of Law Enforcement because they know nothing ever happens to them, but it's going to happen now!"
The attack appeared to be the final straw for the president, prompting the administration to deploy additional federal agents around D.C. on Friday as part of a weeklong effort to reduce crime.
White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said, "This is the first step in stopping the violent crime that has been plaguing the streets of Washington, D.C."
A White House official told NBC News that the federal officers would focus their efforts on heavily trafficked areas and be "highly visible and in marked units."
The administration reportedly deployed agents from the U.S. Secret Service, the Department of Homeland Security, Immigration and Customs Enforcement, the FBI, the U.S. Capitol Police, the Metropolitan Police Department, and the U.S. Marshals Service.
The U.S. Park Police wrote in a post on social media Friday that its officers, with assistance from federal partners, arrested individuals for "possession of two stolen firearms and illegal drugs removing these dangerous items from the community."
— (@)
Over the weekend, Trump announced he will reveal plans on Monday to "essentially, stop violent crime in Washington, D.C."
He said, "It has become one of the most dangerous cities anywhere in the World. It will soon be one of the safest!!!"
RELATED: DC police commander under investigation for allegedly manipulating crime stats
Trump shared more details about his plans in a separate post on Truth Social.
"I'm going to make our Capital safer and more beautiful than it ever was before," Trump wrote. "The Homeless have to move out, IMMEDIATELY. We will give you places to stay, but FAR from the Capital. The Criminals, you don't have to move out. We're going to put you in jail where you belong. It's all going to happen very fast, just like the Border. We went from millions pouring in, to ZERO in the last few months. This will be easier — Be prepared! There will be no 'MR. NICE GUY.' We want our Capital BACK. Thank you for your attention to this matter!"
According to the Metropolitan Police Department, crime rates in D.C. have significantly declined over the past year. However, the department's Police Commander Michael Pulliam was placed on paid administrative leave in May after a police union accused the department of deliberately manipulating crime data. As of Sunday afternoon, the MPD's website stated that violent crime is down 26% compared to 2024.
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USPS celebrates 250 years as it hemorrhages billions — are taxpayers on the hook?
The United States Postal Service celebrates its 250th anniversary on July 26. As the postal service approaches this major milestone, it continues to face significant financial challenges, including projections that it will lose nearly $7 billion in 2025.
In 1775, the Second Continental Congress appointed Benjamin Franklin as the first postmaster general, with the new courier system connecting the 13 colonies by speeding up deliveries.
'Congress needs to act quickly because the agency will be bankrupt by 2028.'
As part of its 250th anniversary, the agency released a new "Eagle in Flight" symbol that will be featured throughout 2025 but will not replace the postal service's original sonic eagle logo.
The USPS revealed two stamp issues, including an exclusive 32-page booklet and a pane of 20 stamps. It noted that it plans to release additional stamps for the 250th celebration.
The postal service is also hosting “anniversary events,” including a dedication ceremony and a festival at the Smithsonian National Postal Museum.
Postmaster General Doug Tulino stated, "The founders of our great nation saw the intrinsic need of postal services as the United States was born — even before the country itself was formed. Since that time, our universal mail system has strengthened the bonds of friendship, family, and community."
"The Postal Service remains a great organization connecting our nation and helping power our economy," Tulino continued. "We are proud to help set the stage for the 250th anniversary of the United States next year, and we look forward to continuing to serve the American public for another 250 years."
RELATED: USPS postmaster general resigns abruptly amid rumors of conflict with DOGE
Financial turmoil
The USPS' grand milestone may be overshadowed by reports that the agency has been hemorrhaging money, sparking concerns that taxpayers could be left to pick up the slack.
While an independent executive branch agency, the USPS is expected to function like a business, with its success relying on its performance and not on taxpayer funds. Costs to support its over 500,000 employees are supposed to be covered by its revenue from sales of stamps and other products and services.
Yet, the agency has suffered over 15 years of consecutive losses, including $9.5 billion in fiscal year 2024 and another $6.5 billion the previous year.
'It has been just a tremendous loser for this country.'
Kevin Kosar, a senior fellow with the American Enterprise Institute, told Blaze News, "In 1970, Congress rebuilt the Postal Service into a self-funding government agency. That agency model worked until about 15 years ago. Mail volume has plunged about 45% since the year 2008. Yet, every year the cost of running the Postal Service goes up because there are more addresses to serve."
"Congress needs to ask itself what do we want the Postal Service to be in the 21st century, and how can we pay for it? And Congress needs to act quickly because the agency will be bankrupt by 2028," Kosar added.
While taxpayers do not generally fund the USPS, it has received billions of dollars in federal loans amid its ongoing struggle to compete with private sector rivals like UPS and FedEx.
In 2020, as part of the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act, also known as the CARES Act, the Department of Treasury allowed the postal service to loan up to $10 billion for operating expenses.
Under former President Biden, the Postal Service Reform Act gave USPS a $107 billion bailout. In 2022, the Democrat-backed Inflation Reduction Act provided the postal service $3 billion to invest in its electric vehicle fleet.
RELATED: Return to sender: DOGE cancels Biden's $3 billion electric postal truck order
The USPS hit its maximum borrowing limit in September, reporting $15 billion in outstanding debt obligations to the Federal Financing Bank. The agency has sought to increase the limit, claiming that it has not been adjusted for inflation since it was set in the 1970s.
President Donald Trump has been critical of the postal service's money management and lack of profitability, even previously stating that he would consider privatizing the agency.
During Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick's swearing-in ceremony in February, Trump indicated that Lutnick would be tasked with reviewing USPS finances. Trump suggested that he would consider placing the postal service under the Department of Commerce's supervision while ensuring it remained a separate entity.
Trump stated, "We want to have a post office that works well and does not lose massive amounts of money."
"It has been just a tremendous loser for this country," he continued. "Whether it is a merger or just using some of the very talented people that we have elsewhere so it does not lose so much."
While it is not yet clear how the Trump administration plans to streamline the USPS, the Government Executive reported that, according to a source, the Department of Government Efficiency has been visiting the postal service's headquarters in recent months.
The USPS, the Department of Commerce, and the White House did not respond to a request for comment.
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