A Real bust

Published January 9, 2026 5:02am ET



The U.S. government saw a problem. The U.S. government spent 20 years creating a solution to that problem at a significant burden to the people. The U.S. government made certain that this burdensome solution in no way solves the problem.

This story, which has probably played out a thousand times in the last century, is the story of the Real ID.

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