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PULSE POINTS:
❓WHAT HAPPENED: Removing voters aged 70 and older from the latest RealClear survey shifts Trump’s net approval from 0 to +3.7.
👤WHO WAS INVOLVED: The 70+ group—consisting of early Baby Boomers and the Silent Generation—registered the only net disapproval of Trump at -14.
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🧾KEY QUOTES: The poll shows 40% approval and 54% disapproval among voters 70 and older.
⚠️FALLOUT: This age bracket remains the primary consumer base for corporate media and is economically tied to government systems.
📌SIGNIFICANCE: Trump’s approval deficit is confined to a generation with both informational and financial incentives to reject systemic change.
— RealClearPolitics (@RCPolitics) April 22, 2025
IN FULL:
In the latest RealClear Opinion Research poll, Donald Trump’s approval rating stands at 44 percent approve and 44 percent disapprove. Removing the 70+ age group raises his approval rating to 44.9 percent and drops disapproval to 41.1 percent, producing a net improvement of nearly four points.
Voters aged 70 and older are the only cohort with a clear majority disapproving of Trump. All other age groups show either a tie or net approval. The data isolates the over-70 bloc as the key driver of Trump’s neutral national rating.
WHY?
This demographic is disproportionately reliant on legacy broadcast and print media for their news–a part of an outdated “outrage cycle” that has perpetuated falsehoods about President Trump for over a decade now.
Television networks and print outlets remain the Baby Boomer generation’s dominant sources of information, exposing them to consistently negative portrayals of Trump, his cabinet, and his policies. This generation also consistently elected politicians such as Bill Clinton, George W. Bush, and Barack Hussein Obama. They backed the Iraq War, were largely culpable in the 2008 financial crisis, and were the first to panic in the early days of COVID, per public polling on the subjects.
In recent years, the “Ok, boomer” meme has sought to reflect how this particular generation finds itself uniquely at odds, politically as well as culturally, with the generations that came after it.
Consumption patterns among younger voters have shifted to direct, digital, and independent channels.
The 70+ demographic also represents the segment of the electorate most dependent on the preservation of entitlement programs. Years of payroll contributions to Social Security and Medicare have created a financial reliance on institutional continuity. Trump’s public posture toward reforming or dismantling government structures runs counter to the interests of voters who now depend on those systems for income and healthcare.
Trump’s support remains strong among voters aged 30 to 69. The polling indicates that opposition from the 70+ generation stems less from ideological divergence and more from structural dependency and media environment.
PULSE POINTS:
❓ What Happened: Col. Ricky Buria, a former aide to Biden-era Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin, has resigned from the Marine Corps and is reportedly transitioning into a senior civilian role under Trump-world Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, with consideration for the coveted chief of staff position. Buria, a recent Democrat donor, is the source of major concerns in Trump world.
👤 Who Was Involved: Ricky Buria, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, outgoing Chief of Staff Joe Kasper, former Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin, Democratic congressional candidate Mike O’Brien, and former DoD official Anne Powers.
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🧾 Key Quote: “Ricky was only the [Senior Military Assistant] because he was the only guy standing,” a defense official told Defense News.
⚠️ Fallout: Officials inside the Department of Defense and the White House have raised concerns about Buria’s close ties to the previous administration.
📌 Significance: The personnel move highlights unresolved tensions surrounding staffing and loyalty inside the Pentagon’s top ranks.
IN FULL:
Col. Ricky Buria, a former junior military assistant (JMA) to Lloyd Austin, is reportedly in line for a senior civilian advisory position under Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, according to multiple defense officials. Buria began terminal leave from the Marine Corps last week and is even under consideration for the role of chief of staff following the departure of Joe Kasper, according to numerous sources familiar with the matter.
But Buria was first appointed to the Pentagon in April 2024 under the Biden government. After Hegseth’s confirmation, Buria remained in place–a “holdover”–while other senior staff were dismissed. He temporarily filled the position of acting senior military assistant (SMA).
“Ricky was only the SMA because he was the only guy standing,” an official told Defense News.
In recent months, Buria has accompanied Hegseth on official travel and participated in high-level meetings. On a recent trip to Panama, Buria was present for discussions with the Panamanian government regarding canal access. He also joined a bilateral meeting in Washington with El Salvador’s Minister of Defense, seated two chairs away from the secretary.
Buria, far left, with Hegseth in Panama.Multiple officials say Buria has taken on expanded responsibilities beyond those typical of a junior military assistant, including personnel input and attendance at foreign policy briefings.
Additionally, campaign finance data uncovered by The National Pulse shows that Buria made a donation in 2023 via ActBlue to Democrat Mike O’Brien, a former Marine and candidate in Pennsylvania’s 10th Congressional District. O’Brien was endorsed by VoteVets–a left-wing group that claims President Trump “hates veterans,” and has attempted to destabilize his Department of Defense using the now-infamous “Signal group chat” story as a cudgel. The group even publicly called for Hegseth to be fired.
Buria has maintained relationships with former Biden-era Pentagon staffers. In a LinkedIn comment, former Department of Defense official Anne Powers publicly referred to Buria as her “partner in crime,” while he heaped praise on others and vice versa.
Buria’s messages to Biden-era staffers on LinkedIn.The White House personnel office is reviewing Buria’s transition to civilian service. Approval is required for senior advisory appointments.
Buria was promoted to colonel in fall 2024. Under standard requirements, officers must serve two years at a given rank to retire at that grade. Without a waiver, he is expected to retire as a lieutenant colonel.
Four top officials have departed Hegseth’s team in recent days. The staffing turnover has left a gap in senior leadership, which Buria is currently helping fill, much to the chagrin of many across the Trump administration.
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