Last month, the Trump administration announced a brand-new White House app available for iPhone and Android. The move shocked the internet, causing some to warn that installing the app would give the government a window into every phone’s most private data. After reviewing the privacy policy, those early fears were somewhat overblown, though not completely invalid. Here’s everything we found.

The new White House app replaced the previous version that was launched by former President Barack Obama in 2010. After 16 years, the app was long overdue for an overhaul. Updated to version 47 as a nod to our 47th president, the app now entails a brand-new design and features optimized for the MAGA age.

There are some inherent flaws within its code.

A quick tour of the White House (app)

The new White House app offers a unique window into the presidency of Donald Trump. It’s comprised of five main sections:

Home: The home page displays announcements, goals/mission achievements, and other important messages from the Trump administration. These can include information on the MAHA movement, border security, cost-of-living improvements, and more.News: The news page showcases press releases and major updates directly from the administration as well as trusted media outlets.Live: The live feed displays long-form videos, shorts, and livestreams featuring President Trump and his various on-camera appearances, from diplomatic meetings, to important announcements, and a meme or two for good measure.Social: The social tab provides a live feed of various social media accounts connected to the president, including Rapid Response 47, the White House, and Donald J. Trump. There’s also a tab that lets you write to the White House, text President Trump himself, sign up for the White House newsletter, and you can even submit a tip to Immigration and Customs Enforcement if you suspect illegal immigration is taking place in your neighborhood or workplace.Gallery: The gallery displays photos of various events featuring President Trump and his administration, including important addresses, bill signings, Cabinet meetings, and more.

Zach Laidlaw/The White House app on iOS

Privacy concerns?

From the moment the new White House app went live, sleuths on social media were quick to warn others not to download it, claiming it to be government spyware that can gather users’ private data.

Based on its privacy labels on the App Store and Google Play, the White House app may collect your email address and phone number (both optional) for marketing purposes as well as app usage data for analytics. Notable components missing from the data collection notice include precise location data, microphone access, camera access, photos access, and browsing history.

In other words, the White House app doesn’t have permission to listen to your conversations, spy on you through the camera, or see your exact location.

RELATED: How the FBI can flout Apple’s privacy tools

ugurhan/Getty Images

Going a step further, we took a look at the White House’s privacy page. Based on this information, the White House website (and by extension, the app) may collect the following that developers aren’t required to disclose directly on the app page:

The device’s originating IP addressThe internet domain nameInformation about your computer or mobile setup (e.g., type and version of web browser, operating system, screen resolution, and connection speed)The pages on WhiteHouse.gov that you visitThe internet address, or URL, of the website that connected you to the site if you accessed WhiteHouse.gov via a link on another page (i.e., “referral traffic”)The amount of data transmitted from WhiteHouse.gov to your computer

At first glance, none of these seem out of the ordinary. Practically all websites you visit log this information about your device and usage habits.

So the White House app is safe to use, right? Not so fast …

Secrets under the hood

A self-professed web designer and former reverse engineer that goes by “Thereallo” decompiled the Android version of the White House app to see exactly what its code entails. Thereallo makes several censorious claims about the app that earned the White House’s announcement a community note on X. The highlights include:

Security risks driven by arbitrary JavaScript injection and an absence of certificate pinning that could leave the app open to hacks in the future.Dubious GPS tracking that logs the device’s location in the foreground (while the app is in use) every 4.5 minutes and in the background (while the app is not being used) every 9.5 minutes.User behavior tracking through various avenues, including cross-device aliases, notification interaction logs, in-app clicks, and more.

Note that these points were only confirmed in the Android version of the White House app. Due to the closed nature of Apple’s mobile platforms, decompiling iOS apps are far more complex.

So is the White House app really safe to use?

While the new White House app looks good on the surface, there are some inherent flaws within its code that could open users up to cyber security threats and data tracking. If you’d like to use the app, consider these options first:

Enable a trusted VPN to mask your IP address from the app’s location-monitoring protocols.Revoke any permissions from that app that request location data or access to see nearby devices to ensure it can’t tap into your GPS data or connected Bluetooth devices.Install the app within a secure sandbox, either inside a Private Space on Android or within an iPhone that isn’t attached to your primary Apple account, to ensure any future cyber attacks on the app can’t attempt to access the rest of the data in your device.Don’t download the White House app. Simply visit whitehouse.gov for the latest information from the Trump administration.

If you’re still interested in checking out the White House app for yourself, you can download it from the Apple App Store for iPhone and the Google Play Store for Android.

​Tech, White house app, Android, Ios, Security 

A 42-year-old stepmother is denying allegations that she tortured her 8-year-old stepdaughter after school officials alerted Florida police.

The girl was allegedly dropped off on April 9 at Tedder Elementary School in Pompano Beach with black eyes and dried blood in her ears, which immediately alarmed school staff.

‘I’ve never read anything like this. … I’ve got serious concerns for the safety of the victim.’

A school counselor called police, who arrested Melirose Joncky after an investigation.

An arrest report said the child was suffering from a large contusion on her forehead and scratches on her arms and neck in addition to the blood and black eyes.

The child allegedly told the counselor that her wounds were caused by her stepmother, and she was wearing a cast from previous wounds also caused by Joncky.

The victim was transported to Coral Springs Medical Center by Broward Sheriff Fire Rescue.

Scans revealed that the child suffered from swelling of the neck, scalp hematomas, and fractures to her arm, foot, and ribs.

When questioned by police, the child detailed monstrous alleged physical abuse that involved beatings with a pot and whippings with phone chargers.

The arrest report said a member of the Broward County Child Protection Team confirmed that the child’s injuries were consistent with the abuse described by the child to police.

She also allegedly claimed that her father sexually assaulted her in Indiana.

Joncky was arrested when she went to pick up the child from the school, and she admitted that she knew about the girl’s injuries. However, she claimed that they were from acne and also from the girl running into a door a week before.

The stepmother was charged with aggravated child abuse and child neglect with great bodily harm.

RELATED: Former teacher sentenced to 132 years in prison for horrific abuse of her two stepsons

Lindsay Chase, the attorney representing Joncky, told the Miami Herald that they would present in court the full context of what happened.

“My client maintains her innocence and denies these allegations,” she said. “The facts are not as they have been portrayed, and there is significant context that has not been presented publicly. We look forward to addressing these issues in court, where the evidence, not speculation, will determine the outcome.”

Joncky appeared in court on Friday, where a Broward County Circuit Court judge expressed disbelief in the facts of the case.

“I’ve never read anything like this. … I’ve got serious concerns for the safety of the victim,” the judge said.

She was denied bond and remains in jail. The child was placed into the custody of the Department of Children and Families.

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​Stepmother tortures daughter, Melirose joncky, 2nd grader tortured, Stepchild alleges torture, Crime 

The conflict in Iran has put a spotlight on the vulnerabilities of fossil fuels. Over the last few weeks, we’ve watched the Strait of Hormuz close, cutting off 20% of the world’s oil supply and resulting in a 55% jump in oil prices. Every industry is feeling the impact of this. But no sector is more exposed than defense.

The U.S. military is the largest single institutional consumer of oil on the planet, and right now, that’s a strategic problem.

Modern warfare is increasingly fought by small, agile teams using robotics and autonomous systems on discrete, short-duration missions.

Estimates report that the United States armed forces consume approximately 4.6 billion gallons of fuel per year. If the Pentagon were a country, it would rank among the top 60 oil-consuming nations on earth. That demand doesn’t pause during a geopolitical crisis.

What the Hormuz disruption exposed is a fundamental issue: The machines that project force are the same machines most vulnerable to fuel supply disruption.

The true cost of a gallon

The cost of military fuel is much deeper than a dollar amount. Defense logistics professionals use a metric called the fully burdened cost of fuel, which accounts for procuring, transporting, and protecting a gallon of petroleum from the point of purchase to the point of use.

In some cases, the cost has been reported as high as $1,000 per gallon when shipping to the theater of war in the Middle East. In future major contested conflicts (particularly in the Pacific), fuel logistics could be pushed to the breaking point, with the challenges far greater than those faced in Iraq and Afghanistan.

We aren’t just paying for fuel in dollars. Fuel convoys cost lives. According to an Army Environmental Policy Institute study, U.S. forces sustained one casualty for every 24 fuel and water resupply convoys in Afghanistan. Between 2003 and 2007, an estimated 3,000 American soldiers and contractors were killed or wounded in attacks on fuel and water convoys.

The reason those convoys were so frequent comes down to raw consumption. A large Army division may use up to 6,000 gallons of fuel per day. The M1 Abrams tank gets less than 0.6 miles per gallon. The Army’s generator fleet, which powers lighting, communications, and base operations at forward locations, consumed approximately 357 million gallons per year during peak wartime operations in Iraq and Afghanistan.

Rethinking energy at the edge

Addressing this challenge requires rethinking not just how energy is sourced, but how much of it we need in the first place, where it’s going, and what we’re using.

The U.S. military spent an estimated $20.2 billion annually on air conditioning structures in Iraq and Afghanistan, making heating and cooling one of the largest energy expenses on a forward operating base. Simple interventions like spray foam insulation can cut climate-control costs by 50%, according to Army research at the National Training Center. Less demand means fewer convoys, fewer casualties, and greater operational freedom.

Modern warfare is increasingly fought by small, agile teams using robotics and autonomous systems on discrete, short-duration missions. Military logistics are evolving to match, minimizing the need to resupply fuel to smaller, distributed bases.

On the supply side, the answer isn’t a single alternative fuel. It’s an all-inclusive energy strategy: small-scale nuclear, solar paired with battery storage, hydrogen, wind, and hybridized fossil fuel generators working in concert.

Some real-life examples of this strategy include:

Nuclear microreactors as part of the Pentagon’s Project Pele have demonstrated that a reactor powerful enough to run a forward operating base can be packaged into standard shipping containers and airlifted by a C-17.Solar power and hydrogen allowed the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to run 24/7 perimeter security and surveillance at the White Sands Missile Range, completely unmanned, with zero power outages for 13 months.The Air Force has certified biofuel blends across its fleet. And companies like AirCo are using captured CO2 and hydrogen to create synthetic fuels, earning them a $65 million contract with the Department of War.

RELATED: Why the US should stake a claim to Antarctica

Sebnem Coskun/Anadolu/Getty Images

From logistics to resilience

Reducing fuel dependence improves force protection by minimizing resupply missions. It increases operational flexibility by allowing units to operate independently of fixed supply lines.

A 2023 U.S. Naval Institute Proceedings article warned that in a future Pacific conflict, the entire fuel logistics chain would be exposed to attack at every point, making energy resilience a priority the military cannot afford to delay.

Energy resilience also supports the realities of modern warfare. Future conflicts will be increasingly unmanned and robotic. Autonomous systems, persistent surveillance, and distributed command-and-control networks all require reliable, long-duration power.

Modern conflicts are more distributed, which means supply chains are more contested. The solution is not to find a single replacement fuel, but to build an energy strategy that is diverse by design while simultaneously reducing energy demand through better insulation, smarter base design, and leaner logistics.

The goal is an energy posture resilient enough that no single choke point — not the Strait of Hormuz, not a convoy ambush, not a supply line disruption — can degrade our ability to operate.

The question is no longer whether alternatives exist. It is whether we have the strategic will to build the energy architecture modern warfare demands.

This article was originally published by RealClearDefense and made available via RealClearWire.

​Army fuel consumption, Defense sector exposure, Fuel demand challenges, Oil supply impact, Fuel logistics casualties, Us military, Modern warfare, Drone warfare, Opinion & analysis 

My fellow Protestants need to know that after I get done with Pope Leo in this column, I’m coming for them next at next week’s TPUSA pastor summit in Dallas. So enjoy it while it lasts, and don’t get too proud.

But this pope, man.

And I quote: “Communion between Christians and Muslims takes shape … as children, within our rich diversity, in our shared aspiration for dignity, love, justice, and peace.”

Seriously, if what Pope Leo just articulated is an “apostolic journey,” then I am a Speedo swimsuit male model centerfold.

I’m actually looking for a pope who has serious theological disagreements with an evangelical like me and isn’t afraid to express them.

Why didn’t St. Peter think about asking his executioners to consider their shared aspiration of dignity, love, justice, and peace when they were crucifying him upside down? It was the least he could do. Maybe the Romans are the real victims, I guess.

As my Catholic editor has said, the pope keeps saying and doing things that don’t comport with obvious scriptural, historical, or current realities on the ground. We are getting a Mr. Rogers papacy, when the plumb line for true apostolic journeys is defined thusly: Peter went to Antioch, then Rome; he was crucified upside down. Andrew journeyed to Scythia and Greece and was crucified in Patras. James the Greater preached in Spain and was executed by sword in Jerusalem. John remained in Ephesus, was exiled to Patmos, and died peacefully. Philip went to Phrygia in Asia Minor and was crucified upside down. Bartholomew traveled through Armenia and India and was flayed and beheaded. Thomas preached in Persia and India and was struck by spears. Matthew carried the gospel to Ethiopia and was stabbed to death. James the Less stayed in Jerusalem and was thrown from the temple. Thaddeus Jude went through Syria and Mesopotamia and was martyred in Beirut. Simon the Zealot preached in North Africa and was killed in Persia. Matthias, who succeeded Judas, went to the Caspian region and was stoned and beheaded.

So the truth is out there if we want it in full, cross and all, instead of a Pope Leo soundtrack that comes across as a mix of John Lennon’s “Imagine” and Taylor Swift’s “You Belong with Me.”

Such social justice dreamscapes are always the conceit of weak men. They refuse to faithfully make the main thing the main thing but instead chase off after a preferred narrative. That’s how you go on a pleasant walk in an Algerian mosque while Nigerian Christians are presently being slaughtered on the very same African continent.

Pope Leo’s comments often frame violence as due to multifaceted, generalized causes based in things like economics or land rights instead of daring to take on Islam directly, either theologically or criminally. For example, among his many tweets, he has never specifically condemned Islamic radicalism for the attacks of October 7 against Israel by Hamas, a known proxy for Iran. Mere condemnations of generic terrorism have been his preference instead, as if all religions have similar levels of bloodlust at the present time.

Any ChatGPT query will tell you that such narrative casting also defined Leo when he was tweeting as Robert Prevost, which is probably why he was chosen as pope last year. The medicine for global conflicts is always focused on more dialogue, missionary work, and synodality rather than the obvious evils in our midst that are demonically vanquishing body and soul with impunity. That’s not a uniquely Catholic problem, though. You’ve all met David French and Mike Pence, right?

RELATED: The hottest part of this message isn’t political

Simone Risoluti – Vatican Media/Vatican Pool/Getty Images

Strangely enough, I’m actually looking for a pope who has serious theological disagreements with an evangelical like me and isn’t afraid to express them, because then I will know that firstly, he understands the true nature of the battle, and secondly, he is convicted to win it. That I can deal with. That’s a man in full, not a chestless minstrel reciting peacenik poetry while hanging out with David Axelrod.

Yes, in terms of relationships, the job of the pope and of all Christians may indeed be to make some very strange bedfellows when we live out Matthew 28 and go to Nineveh, but the language used to do it and the environment it is done in must never compromise the whole counsel of God in favor of a preference for “being nice.”

I also know from a search of ChatGPT that Pope Leo has spoken very frequently on things that evangelicals care a great deal about, like sin, repentance, and redemption. Thus, I think the way to confront this pope is with actual Catholicism instead of Protestant trolling.

We must remind him of the deep history and teaching of his own church — one that inspired, saved, and preserved Western civilization in ways too numerous to count.

In other words, do you even chair of St. Peter, bro? That’s the path forward, not taunts of illegitimacy.

We just want the pope to actually be Catholic. I hope and pray that isn’t too much to ask.

​Opinion & analysis 

The wife of socialist New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani has apologized for various controversial tweets she posted on social media as a teenager.

Rama Duwaji referred to the controversy in an interview with Hyperallergic magazine that was published Wednesday.

‘I’ve read and seen a lot of what others have had to say in response, and I understand the hurt I caused and am truly sorry.’

Duwaji was asked an unrelated question about the effect that becoming a public figure had on her as a person, and she included her apology for the past posts.

“This experience has absolutely changed my life. I am still figuring out how it applies to me as an artist and as a person, both thinking of the future and the past,” she said.

“It has forced me to confront how much I’ve changed, even before this moment. When a tabloid recently published old tweets I wrote as a teenager, I felt a lot of shame being confronted with language I used that is so harmful to others; being 15 doesn’t excuse it,” Duwaji added.

“I’ve read and seen a lot of what others have had to say in response, and I understand the hurt I caused and am truly sorry,” she concluded.

The anti-Israel posts were documented by a Washington Free Beacon report in March. Among them were messages of support for Palestinian terrorism and criticism of U.S. soldiers fighting in “imperialist wars.”

Another message appeared to include a gay slur and another used the N-word as well.

When the mayor was asked about the controversy, he responded that his wife was a “private person, who has held no position in my campaign or in my city hall.”

RELATED: Mamdani plan includes 5 city-run grocery markets — with massive price tag

David Dee Delgado/Getty Images

While Duwaji apologized for the teenage tweets, she did not mention a report that she allegedly “liked” posts in support of the Hamas terror attack on Israel on Oct. 7, 2023.

“My focus isn’t on being a public figure, but continuing my work with care and responsibility, and allowing my art to speak for itself,” Duwaji added.

The mayor’s wife is a Syrian-American artist who was born in Texas. She met Mamdani on the Hinge dating app in 2021, and they were married in 2025.

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​Mamdani wife’s tweets, Rama duwaji apologizes, N-word tweet, Gay slur tweet, Politics