On March 27, the White House introduced a new official mobile app, touted as the “fastest, most powerful way to stay informed and engaged with the Trump Administration.” However, scrutiny has emerged regarding the app’s developer, 45Press, a small business from Canfield, Ohio, which is led by a CEO with a penchant for conspiracy theories.
Background on 45Press
45Press describes itself as a “design, development, and DevOps agency” and is a WordPress VIP Agency Partner. The company has previously worked with notable clients such as Amazon, NBC, and Sony. The CEO, Joel Kendall, has a unique side interest that has drawn attention: he operates a social media presence and online store under the name Sir Storia, which focuses on historical and paranormal locations.
Kendall’s Conspiracy Theory Ventures
Kendall’s activities include an online store that once offered T-shirts themed around famous UFO events in Ohio, aiming to be the “@walmart for UFOs, UAPs, Aliens, Paranormal and much more!” His first design highlighted a notable UFO incident from Trumbull, Ohio, in 1994. His social media posts encouraged believers to support his venture by purchasing merchandise.
Content Removal and Privacy Concerns
In addition to his merchandise, Kendall has produced YouTube content with provocative titles such as “Are Aliens and UFOs real? PROVE ME WRONG!” and “Did Nazis escape on a UFO?” However, as of Tuesday afternoon, these videos have been removed from the platform, and Kendall’s social media accounts have either been made private or deleted entirely. Neither Kendall nor the White House has responded to requests for comment regarding these developments.
Contract Details and Financial Implications
According to OrangeSlices.ai, a site tracking government contracts, 45Press secured the White House app contract by outperforming ten other bidders. The contract, which involves “Web hosting and development professional services,” requires a firm with a “WordPress CMS partner level of Silver or higher.” Federal records indicate that the Executive Office of the President has committed $1.4 million to 45Press thus far, with the potential for the contract to reach $8.4 million.
This article was produced by NeonPulse.today using human and AI-assisted editorial processes, based on publicly available information. Content may be edited for clarity and style.
