President Donald Trump’s Pentagon has experienced a wide number of controversies, from the budgetary hole created by the Iran War and the appointment of cronies to its failures involving the mental and physical health of soldiers on the USS Abraham Lincoln. Now there is a new problem emerging — namely, that a supposedly neutral reporter has been described as a “special government employee.”
Referring to Jennica Pounds, also known as “Data Republican,” AP Pentagon reporter Konstantin Toropin quoted the Defense Department on Monday as confirming that “Ms. Pounds serves at the Department of War as a Special Government Employee.”
Jim LaPorta of CBS News posted a pair of tweets raising questions about the implications of Pounds’ classification.
“Am I tracking correctly?” LaPorta said. “An under secretary sends docs to DR (Data Republican)/DOD (Department of Defense) credentialed journalist. DR thinks it’s a deep-state trap. Under secretary says it isn’t. Misunderstanding apparently/apologies issued. Now we learn DR is also a DoD ‘special government employee.’”
When pushed as to whether being credentialed by the Defense Department would lead to Pounds being classified as a “special government employee,” LaPorta agreed that the distinction is important.
“Agreed,” LaPorta wrote. “Two different categories. I’d argue if a journalist was moving from the journalism side of the house to being a government employee (which is fine, it’s happened many times) it’s something one should disclose publicly (unclear if that occurred, catching up on everything).”
This is not the first time Pounds was outed as working for the Trump administration in a big story. In February 2025, Pounds was revealed to be working for the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), an organization led by Tesla CEO Elon Musk that slashed billions in government programs and fired thousands of workers without any third party oversight or accountability. Musk strove to keep all DOGE employees anonymous, but some leaks still occurred.
“Several names have recently surfaced, including Jennica Pounds, a self-proclaimed AI-driven digital detective and the latest figure linked to Musk’s project,” reported Newsweek’s Jesus Mesa at the time. “Pounds has spent months using artificial intelligence and data analysis to track government corruption, spending inefficiencies, and financial networks.”
Mesa later added, “She gained popularity within MAGA circles as @DataRepublican. However, she recently became the latest figure linked to DOGE to have her identity exposed after being doxxed by a Facebook user. Her findings have reportedly influenced DOGE’s decisions, though she insists she has no direct communication with Musk.”
Pounds told NewsNation after being outed, “I’m grateful. Since then, it’s just been a whirlwind.”