I don't think it is too much to say to the largest agency of the federal government that you have to pass an independent audit. There is nobody in the Senate who does not believe that there is massive waste and fraud at the Pentagon. [00:00:18] Defense contractor after defense contractor has pled guilty to fraud. All that we're asking is that there be an independent audit of the Defense Department and that that be completed no later than fiscal year 2025. [00:00:38] - Not a very radical idea. - Well, as you just heard, Senator Bernie Sanders has continued to be one of the most outspoken congressmen when it comes to the waste over at the Pentagon and the insane amount of money [00:00:54] that we are spending on alleged defense. Now, it should come as no surprise to see him applaud Elon Musk's plan to allegedly slash their budget. Under Doge, the, you know, new group that would do away with waste in [00:01:12] the federal government, the Department of Government Efficiency, as it's known now. Yesterday Senator Sanders posted this on X Elon Musk is right. The Pentagon, with a budget of $886 billion, just failed its seventh audit in a row. [00:01:30] It's lost track of billions. Last year, only 13 senators voted against the military industrial complex and a defense budget full of waste and fraud. That must change now. Elon Musk and Vivek Ramaswamy, Doge or Department of Government Efficiency, [00:01:47] was created allegedly with the purpose of dismantling government bureaucracy, slashing excess regulations, cutting wasteful expenditures, and restructuring federal agencies. And while it's unclear which spending areas Doge will focus on, its democratic. [00:02:07] It's I'm sorry, it's becoming more and more clear that the Department of Defense is becoming a target. In fact, already we covered a story involving Democratic Congressman Ro Khanna offering his support to the new agency as it pertains to this specific area [00:02:24] of waste in our federal government. Let's take a quick look at that. I do want to ask you about what we were just talking about this a few moments ago. Doge, as it's called, this Department of Government Efficiency, led by Vivek Ramaswamy and Elon Musk. Ultimately, they're going to provide recommendations. [00:02:41] It's Congress that appropriates money. Let me provide an area where there could be bipartisan collaboration. I mean, the defense budget, which is nearly $1 trillion, is dominated by five primes. There has been tremendous reporting about the waste, fraud and abuse in that budget. [00:02:59] The Pentagon hasn't passed an audit and has failed the last 6 or 7 audits. So if they go to say there needs to be more open competition, not the monopolization in defense contractors and propose recommendations, that's something that I think could be supported. If they find areas of truly wasteful spending across the government, [00:03:18] they would get support. Now, I don't know if Congressman Khanna and Senator Sanders didn't get the memo, but as self-identified Democrats, they are not supposed to at all work alongside Republicans or members of Trump's administration in order to accomplish a damn thing, [00:03:36] including, you know, carrying out their long held views of cutting government waste, especially in the Pentagon. So I don't know. I wonder if people are asking whether it makes sense for Bernie Sanders to change the entirety of his political identity, simply because Elon Musk agrees with him [00:03:53] on cutting the defense budget. What do you think? I'm being sarcastic, by the way. Of course. Well, some people don't get it. But sarcasm. Yeah. So, look, the reason I was being sarcastic, if you don't know the backstory, is. So I originally posted this on Twitter, to Elon Musk saying, hey, put me in, coach. [00:04:12] If you want to cut 2 trillion out of the government, I can cut 400 billion from the Pentagon overnight and you're 20% of the way home. Elon responded and said, any suggestions? I gave him suggestions. We talked to Ro Khanna about it on an interview on the Young Turks, and then Ro Khanna went on TV and started, saying these things about, okay, [00:04:29] you want to cut the Pentagon, let's do it. And now Bernie Sanders has joined the party. And so we're not saying that, Ro Khanna and Bernie Sanders, just, you know, came up with this idea recently or took our idea forward, etc.. No, they've been trying to cut the Pentagon ever since they got there. [00:04:47] And because there is tons of fraud, waste and abuse at the Pentagon, and that's where they hide a lot of their corruption, because if it's ever questioned, they go, oh my God, you're endangering national security. You're going to get all of us killed unless you give me all the bribes and the giant, wasteful spending. [00:05:02] ET cetera. ET cetera. So. And his point is, we, like I was called a traitor, a turncoat by the some portions of the of of the folks online on the left. And you know and you don't know this, but a friend of mine called the other day, [00:05:18] he's a socialist, and he found out what's going on with the Pentagon cuts. He's like, oh, that's amazing. That's amazing. And guys, nothing's happened yet. But he's like, just the idea that we're having a national conversation about cutting the Pentagon. It's like, I dreamed about this for decades and it's finally happening. [00:05:36] And then I told him the left was attacking me for it. He's he was bewildered. He's like, but wait, why would the left be opposed to cutting the Pentagon? He just literally didn't understand it. So. But according to that logic, that's why Anna's sarcasm is well placed. [00:05:54] Bernie has turned into a Maga loving Republican. No, guys, if the populist right says yes, we agree with the populist left. There is fraud, waste and abuse in that particular area and we should look to get rid of it. Take yes for an answer. It's not that complicated, but I want to give a special credit [00:06:12] to Khanna and Sanders because it's one thing when we say it, but when they say it either on the floor of the House or the Senate or on a television show, it becomes much bigger news. So thank you, Bernie, for picking up that spotlight and directing it to the right place. [00:06:28] - Really well. - Played. Exactly. And look, I hope it's clear that we're not dumb or naive, right? There is a huge possibility. In fact, it's more likely that there will not be cuts to the Defense Department. But it's not impossible. [00:06:44] Especially because when you look at the Republican base of voters, there is a sizable portion of them who do see the waste, who do want to cut the waste in the Pentagon. And so having people like Senator Sanders [00:07:01] or Congressman Khanna kind of amplify. This essentially leads to more potential accountability by Republican voters who actually agree with us on this issue. And what I have noticed, and I've said this repeatedly, and I definitely believe this is true. [00:07:18] Donald Trump is different from the Democratic presidents that we've dealt with, mainly because he's obsessed with validation and admiration. And so he listens to his base way more than Biden ever listened to us. [00:07:33] And so if there is a groundswell of Republican voters who are like, what the hell? You guys said you were going to cut the defense budget and instead you've done like, deregulation. Instead, it's actually harmed us, poisoned our air and water. That could be huge. And that could persuade Trump to pressure Doge to to, you know, propose [00:07:52] or push for cuts to the defense budget. And by the way, Vivek Ramaswamy, let's go to the very last graphic here. Decided to draw attention to what Senator Sanders has been saying. So he posted a New York Post piece that says Bernie Sanders vows to support Doge, [00:08:09] at least in this one cost cutting area. Elon Musk is right, and Vivek Ramaswamy says cutting waste is not a Partizan idea. So look, I think that overall this is a new method, a new strategy in not only finding common ground, but potentially [00:08:27] accomplishing something that we've been wanting for so long in this country. And I don't care about any tribe, okay? I care about results. And so if there's a possibility for results here, I'm all in. Do I think I'm more likely to be let down in the end? [00:08:43] Yeah, of course I'm ready for that. But this is a new strategy, and I think that I'm just interested to see how it plays out. Look, I said this, you know, recently on the show, I said it online and, and you can go ahead [00:08:59] and disagree with me or call me names. I'm good with it. This is not your father's Republican Party. This isn't even your older brother's Republican Party. And so the establishment Republicans have largely been defeated. Not completely. [00:09:14] You still have Marco Rubio and Stefanik and all those people in in Trump's administration and Treasury. But the establishment forces within the Republican Party are hurt, dog. Don't ask them if they're all right. And so you could say, hey, I don't really believe that Elon Musk, [00:09:31] who is in some ways a defense contractor, and Vivek Ramaswamy are going to cut the Pentagon or Trump. No, they're probably going to add to it, etc. And that's fine. And they might. Right. But there are two things that I I'll stick my neck out for. And and I'm happy to do it because we're in the truth business [00:09:48] and we're not in the Partizan business. So I believe that the a significant percentage of these Republican voters actually do want to cut the Pentagon. And so and now the second important thing is now in response to my tweet [00:10:05] and Bernie's tweet, Elon Musk, Donald Trump Junior and Vivek Ramaswamy are all on the record as supporting cuts to the Pentagon. Okay, now, if they don't, you know, cut the Pentagon, people aren't going to cut. Mainstream media hates me. [00:10:20] And then I'm and then they're not going to come back and say, oh, well, you didn't say, you know, didn't you say this to Jenks tweet? And they're not going to care about that. But now that Bernie's on the record, they're going to come back and go, wait, didn't you agree with Bernie Sanders? You said you were going to cut the the Pentagon. [00:10:37] Why didn't you cut it already? That's a win. Because now we've shifted the conversation to cutting the very worst thing in the government, the place where you have the most fraud, abuse and corruption. Right. And so and I wrote in response to Bernie's tweet that we just read, you guys. Hey, you know, I, I asked to be put in charge of this, and if I was an egomaniac, [00:10:55] I'd be like, so butt out of it, Bernie. Right? No, I said no. Bernie, I would be thrilled to have Bernie replace me. Okay. And and I said, imagine Bernie Sanders being in charge of keeping the Pentagon [00:11:11] being honest in a Trump administration. That would be bipartisanship that I have never seen in my life. And I would give enormous credit for that. And I don't care what kind of feelings Whoopi Goldberg or Joe Scarborough gets. Although these days, Joe Scarborough apparently won't catch feelings now that [00:11:28] he's back to being buddies with Trump. Okay, so this is a and this is Bernie doing a smart strategic thing. Now the country's talking about this issue. And and I know that the right wing populous and this is again where my [00:11:45] friends on the left can disagree with me, but those right wing populists, if they don't cut the Pentagon, are actually going to be pissed. And so will there be consequences for that? Will there be accountability for anyone involved? I don't know, but I do know that if you just think that the man was evil [00:12:02] and they have no good intent and they don't mean anything, they say you're just thinking about a different time and a different voting base. This voting base is filled with populists. And so it's an interesting, exciting time because this is [00:12:17] what the beginning of realignment. And they're not those voters are not kidding and they're not BSing. They actually do want to cut the Pentagon. And so it's a really interesting opportunity. And I love that Bernie did this. 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