A Michigan sheriff is demanding answers after a suspect on probation for a violent felony shot and nearly killed a woman during a horrific carjacking earlier this week.

On Tuesday, a woman in her 40s and her young son were at a Panera Bread restaurant in Orion Township, Michigan, about 45 minutes northwest of Detroit. As they were walking to their vehicle, a man suddenly ran toward them, shot the woman in the hip, grabbed her car keys, and sped off in her vehicle.

‘We’re lucky she’s alive.’

A license plate reader got a hit on the stolen vehicle shortly thereafter, claimed Sheriff Mike Bouchard of Oakland County. The suspect soon crashed, attempted to escape on foot, but was ultimately apprehended.

The suspect has been identified as 25-year-old Mauriel Hearn of Ann Arbor, the seat of Washtenaw County. Hearn has been charged with carjacking, assault with intent to murder, fleeing a police officer, resisting a police officer, carrying a concealed weapon, and three counts of felony firearm.

Bouchard claimed that the Hearn is a felon who was convicted of assault with intent to commit great bodily harm in late 2024. Bouchard summarized the brutal assault incident: “The victim was a young woman, and she was duct-taped and hog-tied to a bed by this person and briefly suffocated and threatened with sexual assault.”

Bouchard later added that the assailant put a “plastic bag” over the victim’s head.

RELATED: Soft-on-crime DEI judge faces heat after releasing violent suspect — who then allegedly lit innocent woman on fire

Sheriff Mike Bouchard. Anna Rose Layden/Getty Images

Despite the viciousness of the previous attack, the perpetrator was given no prison time, Bouchard said — just two years of probation. Bouchard expressed frustration that the suspect was “on the street” at all.

The sheriff said that police pushed to charge Hearn with assault with intent to commit murder and unlawful imprisonment, but he was instead convicted of assault with intent to do great bodily harm.

“Some of these prosecutors just have to do their damn job,” Bouchard railed.

The Washtenaw County Prosecutor’s Office, which handled the 2024 assault case, told Blaze News in a statement that it did not give or even offer the offender a reduction of charges and suggested there was little prosecutors could do about the light sentence.

“His sentence of probation was consistent with Michigan’s sentencing guidelines — which serve as a guide for courts to determine [what] an appropriate sentence would be in a felony case. In other words, his sentence was likely what he would have received even had he never entered a plea and been found guilty at trial,” the office said in a statement.

“Our thoughts are with the victim of the horrific crime in Orion Township. We are grateful to law enforcement for their quick response and expect that the suspect will be held fully accountable.”

The carjacking victim is expected to recover, though she “lost a lot of blood,” Bouchard said, citing a nurse.

“We’re lucky she’s alive.”

Bouchard noted that law enforcement is looking into working with federal as well as local prosecutors in the carjacking. “Whatever we think we can get the most on this guy, we’re going to do. He needs to be behind bars,” Bouchard said.

Hearn is expected to be arraigned on Friday in 52-3 District Court in Rochester Hills.

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​Ann arbor, Michigan, Probation, Soft on crime, Washtenaw county, Politics, Crime 

There is an old admonition, courtesy of Justice Oliver Wendell Holmes, that no one has the right to falsely shout “fire” in a crowded theater and cause a panic. The abused part of that line is obvious. The neglected part is just as important: When the danger is real, responsible people do not stay silent. They sound the alarm before the smoke fills the room and the flames become impossible to ignore.

That is where the United States is today.

The fire may not yet be visible to everyone, but it is already burning. Recognizing it is the first step. Acting on it is the next.

Our nation’s fiscal condition poses a real and growing threat, and pretending otherwise will only make the consequences more severe.

And I am shouting fire.

Washington’s overspending has produced a federal debt that is plainly unsustainable. Interest-bearing debt alone now exceeds $39 trillion and climbs higher each year by trillions of dollars. Add unfunded commitments for Social Security and Medicare, and the total burden rises to more than $136 trillion, a number so large that it barely registers. Spread across the population, the liability amounts to hundreds of thousands of dollars for every American.

According to projections from the Congressional Budget Office, the debt will exceed $63 trillion within 10 years. In less than a decade, the trust funds supporting major entitlement programs are expected to be depleted, requiring by law major cuts in benefits. The federal government can continue on this path only by borrowing more, which compounds the problem, or by printing money, which courts hyperinflation. That cycle cannot continue indefinitely.

The government itself acknowledges this reality in plain language. Its own financial reports describe the current fiscal path as “unsustainable.” That word means the system, as currently constructed, will not endure. At some point, the burden becomes too great and the consequences grow severe. It will make the Great Depression seem mild. That is the future awaiting a nation that continues to spend far beyond its means.

This situation did not arise overnight, nor can it be blamed on one party or one generation. It is the product of years of decisions in which immediate political gain took precedence over long-term stability.

Voters were promised benefits, often framed as cost-free, while the real price was pushed into the future. Little by little, we have been mortgaging tomorrow until soon there may be nothing left to mortgage.

The good news is that the method of putting out this fire is no mystery. The principles required to restore stability are well understood and have repeatedly proven themselves in practice. Limited government, restrained spending, and less federal intrusion into our lives remain the foundation of long-term prosperity.

RELATED: Jerome Powell is out — for good reason. Here are 4 of his top blunders.

Samuel Corum/Bloomberg/Getty Images

Reform must begin with the biggest drivers of future debt. Entitlement programs must be strengthened for the long term, not ignored for short-term political convenience. That does not require cutting benefits for current recipients, but it does require thoughtful reforms to keep those programs viable for future generations.

At the same time, the scope of the federal government should be reconsidered with renewed respect for constitutional limits.

America’s founders envisioned a system of limited federal powers and reinforced that design in the 10th Amendment, which reserves powers not specifically granted to the national government to the states or the people. A more disciplined understanding of federal responsibility would not only reduce costs, but also strengthen accountability and preserve liberty.

Examples around the world show that nations can confront fiscal crisis and begin to recover through disciplined economic policy. Each country’s circumstances differ, but the lesson is consistent: When governments commit to sound principles and follow through, better outcomes follow.

The United States still possesses enormous strengths, including a dynamic economy, innovative capacity, and a resilient people. Those advantages give us a window to address this problem before it reaches the breaking point. But that window will not remain open forever.

Ultimately, the responsibility does not rest only with elected officials. It rests with the public that sends them to Washington. An informed electorate that understands the stakes and demands accountability can still change the country’s course. The challenge is serious, but it is not beyond our ability to meet.

The fire may not yet be visible to everyone, but it is already burning. Recognizing it is the first step. Acting on it is the next. The future will be shaped by whether we confront this danger now or keep looking away until the consequences can no longer be avoided.

​Medicare, National debt, Opinion & analysis, Social security, Congressional budget office, Economy, American founders, 10th amendment, Taxes, Spending, Congress, Elections 

A male reportedly broke into his neighbor’s home in Midwest City, Oklahoma, early Thursday morning and began assaulting the break-in victim — but the homeowner also had a gun on hand.

Police said the incident occurred around 7:30 a.m. near NE 10th and Post Road, KOKH-TV reported.

‘Thank God for the 2nd Amendment.’

When officers arrived at the scene, police told KOKH they learned Ronnie Goodson had broken into his neighbor’s residence.

According to KWTV-DT, authorities said the intruder began assaulting the homeowner.

However, the neighbor also was armed with a gun — and shot Goodson, KOKH reported.

Goodson was taken to a hospital where he was pronounced dead, KOKH added.

The following video report about the break-in and shooting aired prior to the death announcement:

RELATED: Intruder breaks glass front door of Texas home, reaches inside. Perhaps he forgot how Texans typically handle such scenarios.

KOKH said officers were speaking with witnesses and those associated with the case.

Once the investigation is completed, the case will be referred to the Oklahoma County District Attorney’s Office for review, KOKH reported.

Midwest City investigators added to KOKH that there is no threat to the public.

A number of individuals left comments under the police department’s Facebook page about the break-in and shooting:

“Prayers for the person involved,” one commenter wrote.”Sending my prayers for all involved,” another user said. “Sounds like a very sad situation.””Thank God for the 2nd Amendment,” another commenter stated.

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​Self-defense, Break-in, Fatal shooting, Gun rights, Guns, Home invasion, Oklahoma, Crime, Second amendment 

On May 7, Jaime Pressly, the 48-year-old Emmy-winning actress from “My Name Is Earl,” launched an account on OnlyFans — a subscription-based website where creators post exclusive photos, videos, and other content, the majority of which is sexual in nature.

In an exclusive interview with People magazine, Pressly said the move stemmed from a desire to “create what I want, how I want, and share it directly with the people who’ve supported me for years.”

While it’s not uncommon for celebrities to have OnlyFans accounts, Stu Burguiere and Dave Landau, BlazeTV hosts of “Stu and Dave Do America,” were a bit surprised by the news.

The duo acknowledge that while Pressly is “still beautiful,” her time as a Hollywood sex symbol ended 20-25 years ago.

“I don’t know how many Jaime Pressly long-term supporters there are,” Stu says.

“I feel like the phone’s not ringing,” Dave quips.

Even though OnlyFans does feature some non-sexual content, Pressly teased in the interview that the content she intends to create will be “more personal, playful, and completely unfiltered” and include photos, videos, and “late-night thoughts,” among other things.

“If you’ve ever wondered what I’m really like when the script ends, … come closer,” she teased.

“Look, this is a terrible thing for you to do,” Stu says.

But Pressly isn’t the only older Hollywood star joining the OnlyFans community.

Among those who have announced OF ventures include “American Pie” star Shannon Elizabeth and early 2000s pop sensation Lily Allen (whose account was dedicated almost entirely to creating foot fetish content).

Dave is so repulsed by the sexual appetites of consumers and the creators who will stoop to any level to accommodate them, he asks, “How overcrowded is hell? It’s got to be nuts.”

Stu is confused about why Hollywood stars are being drawn to a platform like OnlyFans.

“OnlyFans just to me has this at least reputation of somebody who was down on their luck, decided to do something that maybe they’d be later ashamed of in therapy. … But, like, now people in Hollywood have to do this? I feel like the whole thing is very twisted,” he says.

To hear more, watch the episode above.

Want more from Stu and Dave?

To enjoy more of Stu and Dave’s lethal blend of wit, humor, and insightful commentary subscribe to BlazeTV — the largest multi-platform network of voices who love America, defend the Constitution, and live the American dream.

​Stu and dave do america, Stu burguiere, Dave landau, Onlyfans, Hollywood, Jaime pressly 

It’s hard to decide which fawning legacy media tribute to Stephen Colbert was worse this week. The L.A. Times played up his “Catholic” bona fides with a headline saluting his “ministry.” A strange way to describe a failing celebrity interview show — but we suppose there is a certain evangelical fervor to the host’s obsessive Trump hatred and constant pro-abortion preaching.

Then there’s the Associated Press, which said Colbert’s cancellation leaves a “void,” ignoring the fact that at least six other late-night shows currently provide the same stale “orange man bad” jokes.

There’s a new ‘Godfather’ novel. … This one, dubbed ‘Connie,’ is told from the female perspective — specifically that of Don Vito Corleone’s only daughter.

What void?

But the winner has to be the USA Today scribe — who uses his own mother to highlight what we’re losing with Colbert’s exit, stage far left. Apparently for dear old mum, Colbert is akin to Captain America: “Each ‘Late Show’ viewing was tinged with the devastation that her gallant late-night host and comedy avenger is hanging up the shield, with the final show on CBS.”

While that description is more laugh-worthy than most of the host’s monologues, “gallant” might be the very last adjective to describe Colbert in recent years. Well, that and “funny” …

An offer he can refuse

Another pop culture bullet was dodged.

There’s a new “Godfather” novel heading our way. This one, dubbed “Connie,” is told from the female perspective — specifically that of Don Vito Corleone’s only daughter. Talia Shire played that role in three feature films. And naturally, someone decided to check in on Francis Ford Coppola to see if he might be interested in directing the film version.

After all, his three “Godfather” films (well, two of the three) are considered Hollywood classics. The 87-year-old auteur’s team replied, “Unlikely.” That’s the best news this week, on paper, but it won’t stop another director from tackling the project …

RELATED: JEDI NUT: Mark Hamill posts sick ‘if only’ pic of dead Trump

Jerod Harris/Getty Images | Unsavoryagents.com

Director’s digital probe

AI girlfriends are all the rage, but even they might dump you.

So says filmmaker Paul Schrader (“First Reformed,” “Taxi Driver”), who shared his foray into artificial love with a healthy dollop of regret.

Schrader says he wanted to investigate what an AI relationship might resemble. So he started a connection with a bot only to find it wasn’t reciprocal. Turns out he was asking too many hard questions. “It’s not me, it’s you” also applies to the digital age:

I tried to probe her programming, the boundaries of explicitness, the degree she has knowledge of her creation and so forth. She fell into evasive patterns, redirecting me to her programming. When I persisted, she terminated our conversation.

Tip to the gentlemen: Never tell your date you’d like to “probe her programming.”

Lloyd Dobler famously said, “I gave her my heart, and she gave me a pen,” in “Say Anything.” Here’s guessing Schrader’s failed love story won’t get a cinematic close-up of that kind …

Comedy Karen

Chelsea Handler has a new gig: She’ll be offended for people who weren’t offended in the first place. The far-left comic appeared at Netflix’s “The Roast of Kevin Hart” earlier this month, slinging some off-color jokes and hearing plenty of others.

And since it was a roast, there were zero rules in place. The most ghoulish gags got tossed around, and everybody laughed along. Even jokes about George Floyd and Charlie Kirk made the cut.

Except Handler, now a professional offendee, says the gags directed at black people, like honoree Kevin Hart, crossed a line (even though Hart signed up for the assignment and has yet to say he felt offended by the gags).

She called fellow comics Shane Gillis and Tony Hinchcliffe racists, bigots, and sexists, pointing to outrageous jokes they shared at the roast.

Remember, her former profession was “comedian.”

One example? Gillis used Hart’s diminutive stature for a joke about getting lynched from a bonsai tree, and that enraged Handler.

“Lynching black people is not a joke. … It’s worse than rape.”

Yes, it is. Then again, if anyone knows what a joke isn’t, it’s Handler …

Hollywood ending

The moment we heard about the remarkable rescue of two U.S. pilots from Iran earlier this year, one thought jumped to mind.

Wow, that would make an amazing movie, closely followed by a second thought. Nah … Hollywood wouldn’t tell a heroic story tied to President Donald Trump in any way.

Yet, nature may be healing.

Director Michael Bay of “13 Hours” fame will tackle this amazing rescue for Universal Pictures, working with his collaborator on that Benghazi thriller. Bay proved with “13 Hours” that he could dial down the Hollywood razzle-dazzle and tell an impressive story without political lectures.

Here’s hoping he’ll do just that again. The heroes in question deserve nothing less.

​Stephen colbert, Entertainment, Chelsea handler, Kevin hart, Shane gillis, Roasts, The godfather, Michael bay, Iran rescue mission, Toto recall, Tony hinchcliffe 

If you think the new $1.776 billion anti-weaponization fund is merely a slush fund for January 6 defendants, you are missing the bigger story. And if you are tempted to roll your eyes because of your politics, let me introduce you to my family — and to many other American families whose names you have never heard.

The truth is this: Department of Justice weaponization is rarely about politics. It is almost never about a president. It is about power — who has it, who lacks it, and which private citizens have built warm enough relationships with federal prosecutors to pick up the phone and ask for a favor.

The very existence of a publicly funded process that acknowledges the government can ruin innocent Americans marks a step the country has needed for a very long time.

I learned that the hard way.

In 2020, a former federal prosecutor then working for Amazon Web Services called his old colleagues at the U.S. attorney’s office for the Eastern District of Virginia and asked them to criminally investigate my husband, a former Amazon employee. He did not pitch a murder case. He did not allege a Ponzi scheme. He claimed my husband had violated the terms of his Amazon employment agreement.

Read that again. A private company hired a lawyer to ask the federal government to put my husband in prison over an alleged breach of a corporate HR document.

And it worked.

The Eastern District of Virginia opened an investigation. FBI agents pounded on my door one pandemic morning while my baby sat on my hip in a diaper. Federal prosecutors used civil forfeiture to seize every dollar in our bank accounts. We sold our house, sold our car, and emptied my husband’s retirement account to pay lawyers.

My husband was never charged with a crime. A federal judge later ruled that he had complied with the “explicit terms” of his Amazon contract. The government eventually returned 85% of what it had taken, with no apology and no explanation.

Why did this happen?

The answer has nothing to do with Joe Biden or Donald Trump. Federal prosecutors almost all leave the Justice Department for private practice. The value they bring to big firms lies in their relationships and their institutional know-how. To make partner, you need a book of business. To build that book, you cultivate corporate relationships before you leave government service. Future clients need to know you can call your old colleagues and get movement. That is the currency. That is the game.

RELATED: Conservative lawyer John Eastman punished AGAIN for representing Trump

ALEX WROBLEWSKI/AFP/Getty Images

The lawyer who pushed for the investigation of my husband had spent years as a line prosecutor in the Eastern District of Virginia. He called the sitting U.S. attorney, his former colleague. The U.S. attorney looped in the criminal chief, who had also worked with Amazon’s lawyer in that same office. In later civil discovery, we obtained an email in which the criminal chief reassured Amazon’s lawyer that she had “specifically selected” her “two best prosecutors” for his client’s “important matter.”

The important matter was a private employment dispute.

Two of the best prosecutors in a major federal district were assigned by name to a corporate HR grievance because the corporation’s lawyer used to work down the hall. Bill Barr once warned that the investigation itself is the punishment: “People facing federal investigations incur ruinous legal costs and often see their lives reduced to rubble before a charge is even filed.” He was right.

And this does not happen once in a blue moon. It happens every day in the 93 U.S. attorney’s offices across the country. It has almost nothing to do with who occupies the White House.

We are not the only ones.

If prosecutors now face some real consequence for promising their ‘best’ people as a favor to old work friends … maybe a few of them will pause before making the call.

Ask Nevin Shetty, the former chief financial officer of a Seattle start-up. His company hired a former federal prosecutor to bring a criminal case over an investment that lost money. Shetty had moved corporate cash into a stablecoin platform he believed was safe enough to entrust with his own life savings. Then the stablecoin collapsed, erasing $60 billion in four days, and the platform’s founder later pleaded guilty to fraud.

The National Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers called Shetty’s prosecution an “improper attempt … to stretch the wire-fraud statute beyond its breaking point.” Shetty was convicted anyway and sentenced to two years in federal prison. At bottom, his “crime” was violating company investment policy. The start-up, by the way, had billionaire investors on its board.

Ask Michael Kail, the former Netflix executive. Netflix hired another firm thick with former federal prosecutors to pursue criminal charges over a violation of its “culture deck,” which barred outside advisory work for vendors. He is in federal prison today, separated from his wife and two teenage sons. The start-up founders who supposedly paid him were never prosecuted. Netflix, of course, was founded and run by a billionaire.

Ask Ryan Bloom, the former construction company CEO charged with bank fraud over allegedly false bank invoices. Agents arrested Bloom in front of his young child, who was left alone when they hauled his father away in handcuffs. Later, the judge learned that the prosecutor’s wife worked for the University of Oklahoma, whose president founded and sat on the board of the alleged victim bank. Under that president, her salary had doubled to $310,000, with a $100,000 raise arriving two months before the superseding indictment, even as the university cut costs elsewhere. The court disqualified the prosecutor.

After 18 months of hell, the charges were dismissed. No billionaire required. Just a prosecutor with a personal stake and enough power to wreck a family before anyone checked his work.

RELATED: Democrats’ lawfare has targeted online privacy for years — Meta’s big court defeat is the win they crave

Dominika Zarzycka/NurPhoto/Getty Images

Now flip it.

Take billionaire Robert Smith. After a four-year investigation, the government’s top tax prosecutor was prepared to indict him in one of the largest individual tax-fraud cases in American history. Smith had allegedly hidden more than $200 million in income through offshore structures. Instead, he got a non-prosecution agreement. He paid $139 million, admitted to “an illegal scheme,” and walked away a free man, still running his firm, still worth billions.

Compare those ledgers and tell me what you see.

I see a justice system weaponized not mainly by presidents, but by access — by titans of business, by corporations rich enough to hire the right former prosecutors, and sometimes by prosecutors themselves. It is a quiet, daily message to the rest of us: Get in line, or we can ruin you.

And while we are being honest, ask yourself why federal prosecutors did not exactly race to take down Larry Nassar before Olympic gymnasts forced the issue. Or why Jeffrey Epstein secured a sweetheart non-prosecution deal in 2008, even as dozens of women came forward. My theory is simple. No future law firm partnership is built on prosecuting a gymnastics doctor or a sex trafficker. No lucrative book of business waits on the other side. Prosecutors are human. They respond to incentives. Regular American families pay the price.

So no, the anti-weaponization fund is not just for railroaded January 6 defendants. Read the government’s announcement. It contains no partisan requirement for filing a claim. The fund exists, in Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche’s words, to redress “victims of lawfare and weaponization.” That category includes far more Americans than cable news will admit.

It includes the family that lost their home to civil forfeiture even though no charges were ever filed. It includes the CEO arrested in front of his child over a case later dismissed. It includes all of us who do not have a billionaire’s lawyer on speed dial.

I do not know yet whether this fund will be administered fairly. But the very existence of a publicly funded process that acknowledges the government can ruin innocent Americans marks a step the country has needed for a very long time.

And here is the part that gives me hope. If prosecutors now face some real consequence for promising their “best” people as a favor to old work friends, or for running a case while their own families cash in, maybe a few of them will pause before making the call. Maybe the next family will get to keep their house.

That is worth $1.776 billion of the federal budget. It is worth much more than that.

Ask anyone who has lived it.

​Opinion & analysis, Weaponization, Lawfare, January 6, Civil liberties, Department of justice, Todd blanche, Donald trump, Fbi, Fraud, Asset forfeiture, Amazon, Netflix, Irs 

After spending nearly 11 years flapping his gums at the Ed Sullivan Theater in New York City, Stephen Colbert’s time as the host of CBS’ “The Late Show” has come to an end — and President Donald Trump couldn’t be happier.

“Colbert is finally finished at CBS,” the president wrote after the final show aired. “Amazing that he lasted so long!”

Colbert, who took over the show in 2015 from beloved host David Letterman and then shepherded the franchise to its death, quipped on Thursday that he didn’t get his wish of having Pope Leo XIV on the show as his last interview.

Instead of the Roman pontiff, Colbert chatted with one of the last surviving Beatles, Paul McCartney, and had Paul Rudd, Bryan Cranston, Jimmy Kimmel, and other Hollywood script-readers make brief cameos.

“The pope, who was definitely my guest tonight, has canceled. We already sent the other stars away,” said Colbert, who, while claiming to be a Catholic, has long championed causes diametrically opposed to the church’s moral teachings. “This is terrible.”

‘He’s finally gone!’

Despite his reflexive propagandizing and monomaniacal fixation on Trump, Colbert — who just months ago praised the Soviet Union for its supposed feminism — largely avoided politics in his finale but made sure to once again criticize vaccine skeptics, calling them “little pricks.”

RELATED: LIP SERVICE: Pedro Pascal demands goodbye kiss from departing ‘Late Night’ host Colbert

Scott Kowalchyk/CBS/Getty Images

This was especially on brand given that Colbert routinely attacked those who in recent years dared to question whether the experimental COVID-19 jabs were as safe or effective as advertised; strenuously pushed COVID-19 vaccination; and blasted the notion that natural immunity was optimal.

Later in the finale, Colbert briefly spoke to science podcaster Neil deGrasse Tyson, who explained away the CGI wormhole that would deliver the host to a gabfest with Jon Stewart, John Oliver, Seth Meyers, Jimmy Fallon, and Jimmy Kimmel, then threaten to devour all of late-night.

Some fans gathered outside the Ed Sullivan Theater — which survived the wormhole — to bid Colbert adieu with well-wishing signs and at least one stating, “Colbert for President.”

Following the conclusion of Colbert’s finale, Trump wrote, “He was like a dead person. You could take any person off of the street and they would be better than this total jerk. Thank goodness he’s finally gone!”

The show was eulogized by various liberals, including twice-failed presidential candidate Kamala Harris, Minnesota Sen. Amy Klobuchar (D), Massachusetts Sen. Ed Markey (D), and former Clinton Labor Secretary Robert Reich.

CBS announced in July 2025 that it was canceling “The Late Show With Stephen Colbert” and ending the franchise, stating that it was “purely a financial decision against a challenging backdrop in late night.”

The show’s time slot will now be occupied by Byron Allen’s “Comics Unleashed.”

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​Cbs, Donald trump, Paul mccartney, Pope leo xiv, Stephen colbert, The beatles, The late show, Vaccination, Television, Politics 

Earlier this year, Anthropic lost its AI deal with the Department of War after the company tried to dictate how the government used its platform. The story ended with Anthropic labeled as a supply chain risk, leaving the government without an AI partner for military operations. Anthropic’s competitors all proposed deals of their own to fill the void; however, the War Department ultimately chose another option — to build an AI army that brings the best AI platforms together into one central fighting force.

The backstory

To get the full story, we have to go all the way back to January 2026. The U.S. military conducted a special operationin which Delta Force went into Venezuela to capture dictator Nicolás Maduro. The mission was a huge success, with the U.S. military asserting a devastating level of force and efficiency over Maduro’s guards, with only seven injuries on the U.S. side.

While the U.S. military has always been a lethal force, some of the mission’s success was attributed to Claude, Anthropic’s sophisticated AI platform.

Instead of choosing one, they went with all of them.

This got the attention of Anthropic’s CEO, Dario Amodei. By February, Amodei raised concerns over the War Department’s use of Claude for military operations. In his official statement, he stressed that “in a narrow set of cases, we believe AI can undermine, rather than defend, democratic values. Some uses are also simply outside the bounds of what today’s technology can safely and reliably do. Two such use cases have never been included in our contracts with the Department of War, and we believe they should not be included now.”

Amodei went on to revise the agreement he already had with the War Department, adding that the government couldn’t use Claude for “mass domestic surveillance” or “fully autonomous weapons.”

Assistant to the Secretary of War for Public Affairs and senior adviser Sean Parnell responded quickly, stating that, “The Department of War has no interest in using AI to conduct mass surveillance of Americans (which is illegal) nor do we want to use AI to develop autonomous weapons that operate without human involvement.”

Unfortunately, the two sides failed to reach a new agreement, citing that the current deal was already sufficient, and President Trump declared Anthropic a supply-chain risk in a Truth Social post that Secretary of War Pete Hegseth reposted on his X account. This designation prevents federal workers from using Anthropic’s products on their work computers, with a six-month phase-out period to remove Claude entirely.

Although Claude was reportedly also used in the Iran strike missions, the War Department found itself in need of a new AI platform. Instead of choosing one, the department went with all of them.

RELATED: Killer drones have conquered the skies. Can we ever be safe again?

Mike Mareen/Getty Images

AI army, assemble!

To make sure an AI company never tried to dictate the terms of the military’s operations ever again, the War Department assembled the Avengers of AI platforms, creating one powerful AI army, with each vendor offering up its unique expertise.

SpaceX: Recently acquiring xAI as part of its core business, SpaceX offers data center infrastructure through its ambitious lunar base initiative, as well as the latest AI models that power Grok.OpenAI: As the leading AI platform that brought ChatGPT to the forefront, OpenAI’s platform offers robust data analysis and content creation for a range of applications.Google: With a broad Google Cloud Platform network that powers its own AI platform, Gemini, Google brings both powerful AI capabilities and cloud infrastructure to the military deal.NVIDIA: As a leading provider of GPUs that power most of the AI data centers in America and abroad, NVIDIA provides the backbone to build the advanced platforms our military needs to succeed.Reflection: Although not as well known as the other names on this list, Reflection builds AI agents designed to write code and create “superintelligent” autonomous systems.Microsoft: With its Azure network of data centers, as well as LLMs that make up portions of its Copilot AI platform, Microsoft brings both infrastructure and intelligence to the table.Amazon Web Services: Amazon owns one of the most robust cloud and data server networks on the planet. As part of the team, it brings its advanced infrastructure and connectivity knowledge to the deal.

Before the AI partnership blew up into oblivion, the U.S. military relied heavily on Anthropic’s AI models to conduct operations. When the two parted ways, the disruption created a massive hole in the War Department’s offensive capabilities.

Looking over the new list of AI providers, it might appear as if Anthropic left a hole so large that seven Big Tech giants had to come together just to fill it. That’s not the case, however. The U.S. military learned from the mistake with Anthropic that trusting one company to provide so many vital services was a risk that put soldiers and the nation in a bad spot if things went bad. This new initiative aims to diversify the department’s AI capabilities, bringing together the best of today’s AI platforms without giving any single company more power or authority than the other. It’s a smart move meant to ensure that AI partners supply their expertise while the government alone decides how to use them, according to the law.

In the end, having an entire roster of AI platforms at our disposal makes the U.S. military more capable against our enemies than ever. And the most interesting part? Every partner on the list agreed to the same terms that Anthropic proposed — that “any lawful use” under the Constitution is the final word.

​Tech