Jon Stewart Questions Defense Deputy Secretary on Budget

[@shelbyberry4349]

She did a really great job at making something already suspicious look even more suspicious.

[@irbull]

Lmao, it’s almost an SNL skit as is.

[@asankawlk]

It's pretty hard to defend an organization with a business model that profits off by killing people and lying to you about it, especially when it's rife with fraud and waste. People they hire to work and defend it are generally psychopaths. Jon is interviewing Exhibit A. I would be this smug and condescending if I can't account for $2.2 trillion.. Again..

[@jeffdeprey6279]

She came off like if she was not on camera, she would never stand to be talked to like that, and acted like having to explain anything was beneath her. She should try to stay off camera.

[@jasonu3741]

Most large companies cannot perform a perfectly accurate audit theres too many moving parts, some area's receive funding towards resources that have a variable cost while other area's didnt so it causes discrepancies that would need to not only be accounted for but explained. There are ways for her to explain the difficulty in answering what on face value is a very simple question, however she choose condescension and deflection instead of outlining the difficulties that can come from a very large and unique business that operates with a level of variables most if not all other business don't have to deal with. The White house has a blanket statement that 1 soldier costs 1million dollars per year on deployment, not as an official accounted for value but to give the public a broad understanding of the cost incurred for War. But even as insane as that amount sounds its likely double or even tripple that amount, considering what fraction of Kerosene, jet fuel, food, water, healthcare, administrative that soldier takes up per day let alone per year or month. Not to mention what the military might waste due to political expedience or.. WAR you don't always get to collect all your guns, bullets, equipment, machinery in a Warzone how many Billions were forfeited in the withdrawal from Iraq let alone the initial incursion.

[@shelbyberry4349]

@@jasonu3741 kinda makes you wonder if that is a fiscally responsible investment of they can't even actually feed and house and care the soldiers in question even more then

[@JaronLindow]

When the comedian is the one being serious and the Defense Secretary is the one treating it like a joke, there's something terribly wrong.

[@johnmontalbano6027]

Most of the time I've been watching him, Stewart has been in the unique position to comment on the media without being entirely subject to the forces which tell the media what to say.

[@squirlmy]

@@johnmontalbano6027 I'd say an exception was the initial media coverage of charges against Trump. The media was puzzled because "falsifying business records" is usually a misdemeanor, but in those particular 34 counts they were charged as felonies, in might what seem a legal technicality. John assumed this meant the charges themselves were a "boring legal procedure." The media initially did this wrong, but Stewart did too. I was really wishing he stuck to being a comedian on that one.

[@wjamyers]

This "interview" is only designed to launder his tarnished reputation as someone who could call it down the middle once in a blue moon. Her outrage is fake... she's an actor just like he is. And C-SPAN is a complicit propagandist pretending this is news.

[@jahfoolay3150]

Yep. Her laughter is her tell.

[@dylan112588]

Well said.

[@reyngel]

She successfully achieved coming off as snarky, apathetic, defensive and petty in the face of Jon being nothing but clear, direct and respectful.

[@A_Dylan_of_No_Renown]

It’s legitimately mind blowing. Just imagine. She could have said the exact same shit, just not been dismissive, not laughed at him, put in a lame effort to look concerned, and there would not even be a story here. Just unbelievable arrogance on display by her.

[@reyngel]

@@A_Dylan_of_No_Renown absolutely

[@polarfroge]

She's a sad, sad douche. Superdouche.

[@AmyZonkers]

Jon Stewart is doing this interview in bad faith, like all his interviews. He was looking to antagonize her into answering for her wrongthink crimes. She understood this.

[@kwd-kwd]

@@AmyZonkers nope. You don't get it, just like her.

[@Fizban321]

This is journalism. We need much, much, much more of this.

[@kirbygene]

Jon Stewart is the only person I can think of who actually holds government leaders accountable. Most so-called journalists are bought and paid for.

[@jeremyweems4916]

That's exactly why it hasn't happened since this interview.

[@johnjames2470]

Fizban: No, this is not journalism. Apologizing in advance to the Deputy Sec of Defense before he asked a question is the opposite of journalism.

[@michaelbaker9382]

The arrogance here is unbelievable. Distrust in institutions isn’t crazy when we have our institutions giving us non-answers like this. Thank you for this interview and holding these people accountable!

[@Zero11_ss]

The arrogance and naivety of college educated people has no bounds, many of them simply think they are better than everyone else and are entitled to certain things. Even the ones who can't get a job or have some bull shit degree act the same way.

[@vforwombat9915]

non answers? what questions did Jon ask her?

[@sitcom1971]

She was programmed very well to sheild off questions on the bloated defense contractors budget which continues to increase annually without much review in comparison to every other budgets on the menu each year which get big scrutiny compared to the defense budget.

[@GreenVibezIguanaDaddy]

I'm ready for the revolution in this country. It's gotten to the point that this right vs left shits becoming more and more clear that the MTG's and AOC's are literally just puppets put in place to keep the American people fighting amongst each other. Everyone needs to wake up already.

[@tocreatee3585]

its not arrogance is a greed which I am not saying necessarily a bad thing. but there is a limit. she will be working for defence contractor as soon as she get out of government job.

[@matchettian]

He’s literally saying “people might be frustrated because they don’t have healthcare, but we gave $800 billion to an org that can’t tell us where the money went,” And she’s like “what are you even asking?”

[@neo557]

Fot real. J stwart shouldve been like: Bitch pay atention.

[@Praisethesunson]

Lol the system is corrupt and she was appointed to keeping that corruption going.

[@arturorivera6173]

Or even worse her reaction is more like 'Why do you even care?" With her annoying and condescending fake laughing in between . Almost like if she's not the one sounding silly and it's us who are the silly ones for calling them out for it .

[@lyndamedley543]

Her problem is she is not very articulate!! Just snarky and defensive

[@maazkalim]

mEMe culture in a nutshell.

[@bjsvec]

Her defensiveness says a lot.

[@jakemf1]

Spot on

[@AdilAmeerPutin]

The way she is laughing at his questions in order to downplay them is not disrespectful to John but to the people of this country that dare to want to know the answers.

[@thegoatstore7814]

Tell me that story 3:12

[@thegoatstore7814]

LOL OK.....4:33

[@takenbystorm]

Someone should explain that being the secretary of defense doesn't mean her personally.

[@omgitsabean15]

she’s very clearly guilty of waste, fraud, and abuse.

[@nustada]

Matter of perspective, you being reminded you are a slave is not waste fraud or abuse, according and to her.

[@noahford3670]

Probably theft too

[@HilltopZombieShop]

The condescending tone and disrespect she oozes is disgusting. Failing an audit reveals either incompetence or theft. Neither is acceptable.

[@dratz50]

But Stewart states that is only the latter. And that's why his argument falls over.

[@kenhutley971]

But both are on the table... so maybe BOTH?

[@phillipt1697]

​@Adam Davies because incompetence is somehow better?

[@Thomasf4791]

Failing audits they know are coming no less!!! These were not surprise audits, they were scheduled long in advance. That’s an indication they simply don’t care. Her snarky responses are the tip of the iceberg.

[@Bob-lk7ib]

​@Adam Davies it doesn't though. Incompetence is waste. Its completely in line with his argument.

[@deathtool1]

This should be a career ending interview

[@mikek9297]

Career ending, investigation starting, jail cell preparing interview

[@zafran20]

Its America so the media will focus on the next absurd thing the next day and obsesses over it until everyone forgets about Jon's interview with this psycho. Lol

[@hgdvl8811]

Looks like she would make a great White House Press Secretary

[@chrisgraham2123]

Citizens have no say anymore

[@ranranpoopants]

For Jon Stewart yeah

[@fredtaylor9792]

Her flippant attitude, the laughing and giggles she throws at him while he's seriously trying to converse with her, shows the arrogance and contempt these people have towards us, the people who pay their checks.

[@Uarehere]

This seems to be the incompetent woman's modus operandi. For reference, see Kamala Harris.

[@Peter-jl4ki]

At first it seemed to me that she's just a clueless arrogant bimbo that's completely out of her depth. But that arrogance is part of a a deliberate play to make herself look defenseless and make the interviewer angry, so he slips up and makes a mistake. If he does, he will then be accused of bias and prejudice. This may seem like a minor thing, but it makes all the difference. If she's an idiot she needs to be removed and forgotten about. She isn't an idiot, she's calculated, intelligent and deliberate, and considering the topic she's covering up, it seems more likely than not she's a big time criminal that needs to be held accountable.

[@Acesahn]

"The peasants are trying to question ME, one of the King's men!?"

[@redeyeflight6988]

Their checks are a small portion of their income, and the rest comes later, from the companies they funnel the money too. Why would they care what we think? We can't stop giving them money to funnel. We go to jail if we try. Why do they have to care about us at all?

[@Tbhnari]

Absolutely on point. When the comedian is serious and the supposed “public servant” is laughing off valid points.

[@revejmal]

As a retired Sailor i can absolutely, without a doubt, tell you her last response was rhe government saying " holy shit, we've been found out! Shuffle money around to make it look like we care!" I had 20 years in with 3 kids and still had to stop and wonder if i was able to afford a grocery trip week by week. Spending that extra 5 minutes in the parking lot checking my navy fed app to make sure i wouldn't get denied when i tried to pay... Then getting judged by people whom never served on how fiscally irresponsible i was for not having a reputable savings account.

[@Nanahux]

Thank you for your service. My son is in his 17th year and has 3 kids also. I'm very thankful that his wife has a good paying job because he couldn’t support his family without her job.

[@mybirthnameful]

As it was explained to me by my old Seargant, take care of your money, cause the army let Lockheed take care of theirs, still true!

[@apexnext]

I wanted Jon to reply to that last response from her, "when do we actually see those _feelings_ and _beliefs_ that it's getting better?" Because every service member I've ever met in my life, struggles both financially and medically/emotionally.

[@jennyperez3981]

Thank you, thank you for your service Sir.

[@TheNikohSan]

My dad retired from the navy after 21 years, and I served 4 years in the navy as well. This is 100% the truth. Me and my 2 other siblings lived off food stamps, Dollar Tree frozen food, rice and canned meats because that was all we could afford to eat growing up. He had to do side gigs to afford us anything beyond that. This was in the late 90s and 2000s; I can only imagine how bad it is now with rising food costs, and them axing COLA in more and more locations for no fking reason.

[@jujitsujew23]

Her condescension, arrogance and general appalling attitude is breathtaking and I commend Jon for being able to sit there and not tell her that to her face

[@id10t98]

Idk how he didnt say it in the first 30 seconds of the video.

[@SteelDoesMyWill]

This is quite typical of GS-15 SES (Senior Executive Service)

[@atlasfeynman1039]

All elites truly believe they deserve to be better than everyone else. This is why we need people like John Stewart involved in politics.

[@madworker1927]

@@atlasfeynman1039 yeah sure with scripted acting delusional people who believe this circus

[@My-Pal-Hal]

Oh man. Jon is a Seasoned Mountaineer, and Spelunker of all the cracks, crevices, and, CREATURES of B💩S Mountain.😂 😳 😏 👍 And he always brings a little extra climbing rope,.. for when those creatures can't wait to Hang Themselves 🤣 ... and they always do

[@kccountrykid]

Her mindset and attitude is a major example of what's wrong with our government at just about every level, and indicative of a deeper issue. Their "institutional thinking" is out of touch with the rest of the world.

[@addywick8941]

Yes! I really believe that only 25% of Americans know what a budget is or how to balance their checking account. No wonder this country is in such a mess, but the right wants to keep them ignorant. It's a very sad situation.😢

[@EvolutionWendy]

I agree, her mindset is "I need to score a gotcha" for every sentence out of her mouth. Jon was calm reasonable and persistent. Her giggling contempt is hideous.

[@philipwipernickle4780]

Her mind set is how corporate leaders have been thinking. And it shows in how gleefully they will crash the economy on top of us while paying their CEO's bonus in response.

[@hippocleides7105]

​@Philip Wipernickle The issue is the military is run by political bureaucrats now, not the actual soldiers. When the generals in charge aren't true soldiers who simply revolve a door with the military industrial complex, it's no wonder the whole system is corrupt. Generals should be obsessed with force lethality and discipline alone. Political games should have no place in the chain of command.

[@space.youtube]

@@hippocleides7105 "Generals should be obsessed with force lethality and discipline alone." ? You think like a blunt instrument, because you are a blunt instrument. Thankfully, those in command are much more intellectually curious (and honest) than you.

[@zainabamadahy9918]

This woman is so evasive. This is not the first time the Pentagon has not been able to be clear on where significant amounts of our tax dollars went. AND not the first time they were allocated more funds than they requested. I'm tired of being treated like I'm stupid by arrogant people who refuse to be held accountable.

[@Quinn37]

Hey now...lets not jump to conclusions. You don't understand auditing. Just because billions and billions of dollars can't be found doesn't mean there is waste, fraud and abuse. I mean seriously that money went somewhere totally legitimate, and I'll get back to you just as soon as I have made up a plausible answer to where it went.

[@ozrob76]

Remember, she's pretty sure she's not to blame, so who's gonna be held accountable. Lol.

[@bza8910]

Remember how much money came up “missing” immediately before 9/11?

[@Carosmyr]

But lord effing forbid if some soldier has their hands in their pockets

[@Evehawk87]

No ma’am that’s not an audit. That’s an inventory check. The fact that you don’t know that is worrisome.

[@rtaghavi]

“Other than the dollars which really bother you”. LMFAO

[@oscarnilsson4643]

I was really hoping that he would respawnd with "Yes, and I think it's weird that it don't bother you".

[@rtaghavi]

@@oscarnilsson4643 Exactly!

[@nickmorrow7136]

seemed mighty antisemitic

[@deephouse2695]

Which really bother all of us!

[@bobknull7502]

Incompetence is a form of waste. She tried to talk down to Jon and make fun of him. She was put in her place.

[@masternoob9673]

The fact that he had her talking seriously, but she still used that serious tone to try and justify her side’s insanity, is very telling and ominous

[@explanatofbenefe7345]

not true. her distinction was audit vs waste. Audit is an accounting process.Audit is one way to identify waste. You cannot use audit to identify incompetence.

[@MenachemSchmuel]

Not to mention he was incredibly respectful and gave her all the space in the world to make her case, and she managed to sound as corrupt and/or incompetent as possible. "Well you just don't know what an audit is or what waste means." "OK, please educate me." "... you just don't know what they are."

[@rickschroth9869]

The absolute arrogance of this lady .. it’s incomprehensible. No .. quote a famous republican.. “we don’t know what we don’t know” but since we don’t know where those funds are being spent and accountable … we are putting them in the ledger of “waste and misappropriation” No .. it’s not on the public to determine if this is the “right” ledger to account for these missing funds … it’s up to HER AND THE MILITARY AUDITORS to prove to the public that these funds have been spent appropriately and have not been misappropriated. In other words .. it’s not on us .. it’s on you to get it straight .. until you can do that .. we consider it “stolen”!

[@ThatADHDKid]

He has been in the industry for so long that he knows how to deal with hecklers going back to his stand-up days. He doesn't even let them know that he's about to get them, he just leads them into it to try to further show that they're too blind to see what they just said. And will let the audience be the judge of their statement and his show

[@darylhenry9595]

She LAUGHED when Stewart mentioned food insecurity on military bases. That says EVERYTHING we need to know about the kind of person she is

[@monharris28]

yep

[@FractalPrism.]

a typical narcissist reaction is to laugh in the face of being caught red handed. they think its hilarious that you pointed out why they're guilty bc they're entirely convinced they will never get punished.

[@Sh0rtsYT]

It tells you everything you need to know about the hatred and contempt the US government has for its own public and even its military personal.

[@autodidacticartisan]

​@FractalPrism Maybe she was laughing with a "of course he's gonna bring this up, yes we already know about it we've already done several things to remedy it" kind of laugh

[@Sh0rtsYT]

@@autodidacticartisan how much did the pentagon pay you to comment this? Will you be apart of the next audit

[@ivispark3780]

Her attitude is insufferable. She seems to have absolutely no humility and she seems so self-righteous. Props to Jon for being so cool throughout the interview. Love you Jon! ❤

[@klowen7778]

@c-dizzle Yep, just a hapless mid-level bureaucrat 'tasked' w/ doing an interview with probably one of the greatest comedian/'commentators' of modern times. Though in fairness, most of Jon's interviews are usually in a much more intimate and 'informal' setting than this one, that was so stark and intimidating, I kinda felt sorry for her!

[@asankawlk]

It's pretty hard to defend an organization with a business model that profits off by killing people, especially when it's rife with fraud and waste. People they hire to work and defend it are generally psychopaths. Jon is interviewing Exhibit A. I would be this smug and condescending if I can't account for $2.2 trillion.. Again..

[@Green_Eyed_Monster]

It's amazing too because Stewart is one of the most smug, insufferable, slimy scumbags around, and even he looks bearable next to this woman.

[@szaszgbr]

Thats because she doesnt.

[@kimberlytross9864]

@@klowen7778 Felt sorry for her? She's with Jon Stewart on a stage in an auditorium - she's not in a Gitmo interrogation room. She's a big girl in an important position, she should be able to take the heat. Just because she works for the Dept of Defense doesn't mean she should come in hot with the defensiveness. These are simple questions, no doubt with complex answers, but Americans deserve the answers & she should be able to provide them.

[@brandonlm0125]

I was a lowly airborne infantry platoons sergeant and I can’t even guess the amount of waste fraud and abuse I’ve witnessed. I can’t imagine how much worse it gets.

[@Giopowered]

In the navy. We are forced to order parts to make a budget quota even though we may never ever use it or it being outdated

[@optiondezzo1513]

@@Giopowered its a ridiculous policy to find ways to use up all of the budget because if they don't the government will ask why do you need more money when you didn't use it all up the last time.

[@Giopowered]

@@optiondezzo1513 yep

[@ericktorres674]

If she answers like this to an interview in a professional setting, imagine the contempt for regular citizens.

[@sunshinehayle3899]

It's her staff I feel sorry for. I really hope she's not like that at work.

[@omegaweapon116]

She's one of those people who would get pulled over and ask, "Do you know who I am?"

[@lukemeacham1282]

@@omegaweapon116 She wouldn't get pulled over.

[@Srvtecej]

Wow, her attitude is horrendous

[@bhbluebird]

We don't have to imagine -- she made it pretty obvious and it is the tip of the iceberg.

[@jimlutz8092]

I'm a retired Property Insurance Adjuster, and I'll tell this woman that a proper audit is not just an accounting of the inventory. It's also about an analysis of the claimed pricing of the items on the inventory, and furthermore it's also the validity of whether such items should even be on the inventory in the first place. One thing without the others is a bogus audit that lacks proper adjustment!

[@brandonb.5304]

Exactly. If the Pentagon agreed to purchase 20 T-7A Red Hawks from Boeing for a stated price of $25 million, but ended up getting an invoice from Boeing for $35 million, wouldn't you want to know why the invoice sent to the government is for charges $10 million over the stated price? An audit should not just be...oh, yeah, we did get those 20 planes from Boeing so we're good.

[@kylasbitch]

dO yOu EvEn KnOw WhAt An AuDiT iS?

[@LK-bz9sk]

👏🏽👏🏽💯

[@jaredburgess8381]

​@@brandonb.5304 A proper audit will ALSO identify whether those items were the absolute best option for the requirement or not. The DoD is renowned for having been infiltrated by private companies such as Raytheon, BAE Systems, Lockheed Martin and Northrop Grumman where ex-military personnel go to work there and then lobby high level Pentagon officials into projects that are speculative at best.

[@Jesayou]

@@brandonb.5304 Best breakdown on whats wrong with the current system they really do like acting this money is well spent, not given CEO's.

[@wasimalsamah634]

I am always amazed by Jon ability to absorb such demeaning way of answering simple question and continue to engage in a high quality conversation

[@STEELCITY1989]

His decorum and patience is inspiring

[@TheBooban]

@@STEELCITY1989 eh, not really; he swore in the end. The longer he talked the angrier he got over how condescending she was.

[@u235u235u235]

@@TheBooban when did he swear?

[@Wowthatsfunnylol121]

​@@TheBooban He said "Bucko", not "fucko".

[@retired-s5h]

That's how you do a good interview, you won't get any answers by screaming and muting like they do on news. He made her comfortable enough to laugh and joke about the corruption.

[@Superfantastictop10]

The classic defense of "we've created a system you don't understand on purpose to cover our tracks and were going to laugh at you for not understanding this purposefully obfuscatory system" The very definition of pissing in your pocket and telling you it's raining.

[@MohamedElouarda-qk6ws]

I thought french and belgian rich politicians and their intellectual guards were cruel since 20 years (im a belgian). Now i see this woman. This is a whole another level, whole other planet...

[@austingreen341]

The funny thing is she's proving Jon's point. The DoD is (allegedly) buying billions of dollars worth of items and can't account for it. If you can't account for the supposed purchase, then what's to say if the item was ever actually purchased? How do we not know the DoD isn't just writing million dollar checks to their friends who are contractors/vendors?

[@einundsiebenziger5488]

... billions of dollars worth of items and can't account for them*.

[@DenizOzkaynak]

It’s astounding she doesn’t see it’s at the VERY LEAST clearly waste and much more likely fraud and abuse. She must be playing willfully ignorant?

[@Braiam]

This has been a staple of the US military/defense budget since forever. No one wants to tackle it because it's political suicide to go against the war machine. So, unless you want your to do it, you have to either make it worth their while, by imposing term limits, and that their party isn't punished for it, or getting elected and do it yourself.

[@butchmorrow3182]

"If you can't account for the supposed purchase, then what's to say if the item was ever actually purchased?" Your question should have been put to her without asking another question until she answered that one!

[@orlock20]

The problem is its accounting system which is so flawed that the military's accounting is off by a couple trillion dollars per year. This flaw seems to appear in the military's system and not the money going into the military. So you take a real dollar that you have in your hand and you put it into the vending machine and the venting machine displays a random number. That's the way military accounting works.

[@anthonycook4441]

The fact that she's laughing and smiling like it's a joke is really horrifying. Saying she believes is a sign of incompetence,because she supposed to know what's going to happen.

[@banquetmeal663]

She says at 1:40 we have no way to keep a legitimate inventory like it's an actual defense.

[@heroclix0rz]

She's on her back foot the whole time. She tries to take control of the situation by being arrogant, which would be fine if it worked, but it backfired. John turned everything she said back on her. Once she realized what she was up against she switched to her politician voice. Well rehearsed lines, touting specific (yet arbitrary) numbers that sound like they support your point and can't be argued with in real time.

[@robertplant2059]

Kinda like our Press secretary.

[@B_Bodziak]

@@robertplant2059 You don't seem to have a grasp of what's happening

[@robertplant2059]

@@B_Bodziak As our country is going to ruin to "equal" things out racial? Even Bill Maher has changed his stance on much. I believe you turn a blind eye to all the problems the Dems have brought to this country, you are aware of the blame for the GOP. How do you ignore the shape of America's greatest cities? All run by Dems? I ride the NY subway everyday, who does not have a grasp? Hilarious how Stewart got slapped down for his Covid view, blamed the media but ignored the media leans very left and does what they did to him to the right all the time.

[@DantheManMonty]

she talked down to him the entire time. what an embarrassing representation of government

[@EverettBurger]

And soon she will be an executive at a MIC company

[@DrGearHeadSS]

So much of the American government is an embarrassment

[@atlasfeynman1039]

Watch the whole interview before judging on a 5 min clip?

[@danibeautylove]

@Atlas Feynman just did. She remains condescending and embarrassing.

[@ChristopherCricketWallace]

​@@atlasfeynman1039 if you watched the whole interview you would not have responded that way. Her tone was consistent the entire time.... She's watching her words. Gaslighting. Giggling to stall and downplay straight questions. Forcing her talking points while NOT answering the questions asked. And they weren't backhanded, trick questions. They were plain-spoken "how does this work" questions.

[@LennyCooley117]

As a taxpayer first, a veteran second, and a government employee lastly... the dollars really fucking bother me.

[@xphilli]

Her tactic failed pretty hard. You can't bs a comic. Especially one as talented as Jon. He ran rings around her.

[@charleyu5506]

"you can't bs a comic".... give me a break there are only 2 maybe 3 comics that come close to jon

[@tmgasia]

Imagine if he ran as an independent candidate for president...

[@ajgajg5026]

@@tmgasia Republicans wouldn't vote for him either way, Jon used to point their hypocrisy on the daily show, so he's been demonized by the right wing media for decades now and would be in an election cycle. I would like to see him run though, perhaps younger people who are conservative because of hereditary reasons could have their eyes opened.

[@michaellatour264]

This has less to do with his comic talent, which isn’t even that great, and everything to do with this guy being absolutely brilliant. I wouldn’t be surprised if he was a genius.

[@markmcclure64]

Heck, he let her ring her own bell.

[@brrrainapples]

That she laughed through very serious and genuine concerns is extremely problematic and telling. “Institutional thinking” indeed. Bravo to John Stewart for his continued hard-hitting interviews. If all media were like him this could be a different world with far less corruption and more empathy.

[@BA-pz3lo]

it was nervous laughter she didnt know what else to do

[@codybailey855]

She studied under Kamala.

[@obediahpolkinghorniii564]

@@codybailey855 More like MTG.

[@thehalfricanguy]

It wasn’t very “hard-hitting” as it should’ve been. John didn’t go full in like he used to.

[@obediahpolkinghorniii564]

@@ohio I disagree with you, but I do think she’s being criticized more harshly because she’s a woman.

[@yoyo_ma7677]

“You seem to really be focused on the dollar amount. That really seems to bother you” Me too…it really bothers me too.

[@spearson103]

Yep, that's what we're talking about here lady. Welcome to the conversation!

[@andiiiiiiiiiii]

She talks as if $850 billion of taxpayer money is just pocket change and can be thrown around willy nilly

[@skindianu]

Seeing as it's our money, yeah I'm focused on dollars, quarters, nickels, dimes, pennies. Lately it seems I'm buying more stuff with coins than cash.

[@skydog9043]

DAMN RIGHT B@TCH!!!

[@davidwendel6080]

Don't worry we will throw more money at the food problem. But will it be accounted for, tracked. Oh no we couldn't possibly know where all your tax payer dollars are ending up... So would that not be waist,.. or theft?

[@Ojb_1959]

Thank you CSPAN for televising this. 👍🏼👍🏼

[@cdespota]

Jon Stewart is a national treasure. His ability to absorb the evasiveness and utter condescension displayed here, and not only respond calmly, but also reframe his position assertively and reasonably… I wish we had more voices like this in the media.

[@EGarrett01]

How about that noise she makes at 0:53.

[@tooterooterville]

And you actually believe that if this were a Trump cabinet individual, he would respond similarly? Not likely! The EffYoos would soon be flying!

[@shieh.4743]

Absolultely and I wish I had the ability to be this articulate. I am very impressed by his thoughtfulness and clarity.

[@EGarrett01]

@@tooterooterville This has nothing to do with Trump. And anything involving Trump does nothing to excuse this.

[@SPAZZYok]

@@kaschmir3 You sound like like the Scooby Doo show. "everything would've been fine if it wasn't for those pesky reps". 🙄👌

[@manmadesounds]

"Be kind to people. Be ruthless to institutions." - Michael Brooks

[@lenadahling]

💯

[@robertnicholls9917]

"Hell yeah!" - Jamie Peck

[@michaellagzdins8002]

How her demeanor changed MASSIVELY after he respectfully called out her out and didn’t lower to her level. He kept the conversation going. John Stewart is consistently showing to be someone who can speak on a platform most on either side of the aisle can hear. Thank you.

[@ahmedsiddiquedalam4111]

Exactly my thought.

[@Cableguy5770]

I think she was just better prepared to speak on food insecurity. I think she was just excited to get off of the incredibly awkward topic of corruption and waste. I think that she was cackling like a hyena bc she was so uncomfortable with the subject.

[@rishabhrastogi17]

Here from the weekly podcast, and this is better than Jon described.

[@roguesample]

Jon was so patient with this woman. Just as a general rule in life, If you ever start asking questions in a respectful way, and someone immediately reverts to condescension, that’s a gigantic red flag. He didn’t even need to ask a gotcha question and he didn’t even need to let her talk herself into a hole, she said everything with her involuntary snarky responses and actions

[@Vort_tm]

Honestly just slowing down to think things through prevents problems and embarrassment. She was so quick to snap back that "That's not what an audit is" only to have him shut her down with an unhurried, well reasoned rebuttal.

[@jaredburgess8381]

​@@Vort_tm When she realised the audience was siding with Stewart she belatedly found a little more respect for him. Arrogant c-nt.

[@kbanghart]

​@@Vort_tm she gets paid well to defend the system, which is exactly what she's doing.

[@dixztube]

Exactly

[@jonbetts8473]

​@@tomsko863 link is in the description. Very much worth a full watch.

[@michael4999]

This interview would go better if she wasn't arrogant and taking everything personally. This woman's ego is large and fragile.

[@aliancemd]

She reminds me of Liz Truss in England

[@mjinba07]

She's taking an interview in what she rightly assumes is a confrontive milieu, barely 2 years into her position. The military budget is political, and the terms of its application are controlled politically. As a woman in authority in a military position there's a good chance she has to defend herself and "pull rank," every day. So, while Jon's questions and concerns are more than legit and she needs to hear them, I'll give her a pass on the appearance of arrogance and defensiveness. Maybe she deserves that criticism. And maybe she's doing what she can to keep her head above water in very choppy seas.

[@AshishB702]

Jon Stewart's attitude is what's annoying. His approach is to get pissed first, understand second. Instead, he should understand first. This is what is rightfully upsetting the Deputy Secretary. Imagine if someone got pissed at you about your work without understanding it. Smart people don't act like Jon Stewart. They're much more humble in their approaches. He thinks he's humble, but he cannot imagine what real humility is.

[@choppingpenguin]

@@AshishB702 You are a fucking moron. Jon Stewart knows much better than her what an audit actually is, he was politely deferring to her even though he knew she was full of shit, and she took the bait and fell into the trap. He is TOTALLY JUSTIFIED in his disgust for her and the bullshit she was spouting. She is a vapid mouthpiece for a blatantly corrupt organization and she was huffing and puffing w her damaged ego, looking and acting as stupid as Jon knew her to be.

[@choppingpenguin]

In that regard, she is the perfect representative for that institution.

[@MikeWanDoe1]

He baits them in with their own arrogance then dismantles them before our eyes. Such a beautiful sight to behold.

[@freel201]

We’ll put.

[@justAman548]

You’d think they would have learned after 20+ years of him doing it. It’s like they have a net with themselves that they won’t be embarrassed, but end up ALWAYS being embarrassed.

[@TheMysavior]

How is it that Jon Stewart is now performing better journalism than most I've seen out there?!?!?!

[@saulperez6534]

This lady is a perfect example of the problematic people we have in charge of our nation and how they are running it to the ground.

[@Louie_The_Dago]

White women

[@saulperez6534]

???... If one thing i learned is that color, race or gender don't really matter when its about government corruption.

[@BluntforceJ]

@@saulperez6534 Exactly. Every gov is corrupt. Don't trust any of them.

[@stockgorilla4999]

Lol its that "I know" behaviour but can't answer a common sense view.

[@Louie_The_Dago]

@@saulperez6534 White women are the worst. The most racist, homophobic, backwards, anti science, anti education ghouls in america. Thats why the majority of them voted for Trump, Marjorie Taylor Green, Lauren Boebert, etc. And also the Karen epidemic is another white woman byproduct. They also ruined the occupy movement

[@NickPlaysDrums]

This lady is the exact type of person we cannot have in government.

[@Praisethesunson]

She is perfect according to our capitalist overlords who put her there

[@super266]

Textbook narcissist: deny, deflect, attack. "That didn't happen. And if it did, it wasn't that bad. And if it was, that's not a big deal. And if it is, that's not my fault. And if it was, I didn't mean it. And if I did, you deserved it." - "The Narcissist's Prayer"

[@provisionalhypothesis]

This is how she got to the top. I have worked with many women managers like this. Who aren't reasonable and who have made my life a living hell. this is how they are successful...

[@TrulyBS-QJ]

And that's why she is in government

[@michaelladarkangelsparkle9908]

The only ones that can pass the audition for smug money grubbing whore upper class yuppy politician type! 🙄😵‍💫

[@trenomas1]

It all goes wrong when people are no longer connected to consequences.

[@jakemf1]

Spot on

[@eleesahull8842]

Bad people have to have consequences or they will continue to do bad things. Look at Ron Johnson was involved in the biggest medicare fraud ever after which he was elected and just accused President Biden of Medicare fraud. Why do we have criminals in our government? Because they never paid for what they did , they got promoted.

[@jeffreysawatzky]

You sir just hit it on the nail.

[@ninianstorm6494]

@@jeffreysawatzky aware by arrest every politician whom wants to stay in syria=end pentagon crazy spending=lower inflation> finally give all medi-dentalcare=lower operating cost=more innovation/jobs/menu items etc if trump goes to jail, then bush-obama-biden admin all deserved death penalty for rig 16y straight steal iraq-syria oil using stolen 2.3 trillion proxy war in places like libya 2010 wesley clark got blackmailed by hillary clinton= kzbin.info/www/bejne/laGqnHmDndRpedE putin files created to cover up coup 2014 nuland f eu with by obama greenlight shelling donbass 1>kzbin.info/www/bejne/lZ7Ve4V-rMeJfZo 2>kzbin.info/www/bejne/qpKclYqImKmIhqM 3> kzbin.info/www/bejne/f3PIg3Vtp7yelZo obama is bush 3-4th term, biden 5th kzbin.info/www/bejne/f5PJpIeZf6h-eqc kzbin.info/www/bejne/oJfQeaKci7GserM dnc smear looking into treat covid symptoms/travel bans but permit parades/riots, recall snitches get rewards? kzbin.info/www/bejne/oJKUnX-Vm51nbNE a. kzbin.info/www/bejne/hmKphoCafbplb8U\ dnc establishment kill 50 in vegas/portland, thugs attack with stand down cops san jose/charlotte, burn loot several months, sabotage afgan withdraw using russia bounty smear to give taliban equip, crash car in to wisconsin parade thanks to nbc follow jury bus smearing ritten house too kzbin.info/www/bejne/p2aZZ6Ofm8mhi5Y kzbin.info/www/bejne/i6nSfWuqfbiUbck

[@HisameArtwork]

makes me wonder what's wrong with her. it's definitely something pathological. was she this way and got the job because of that or did she became like this. she's definitely high functioning whatever neurodivergent issue she has. but she's still unsettling to listen to. even if Jon had asked stupid, ill willed questions you could see Faucci and other government specialists take the time to explain inform, recognize issues, try to do better for everyone involved in the conversation. so top with the fact he didn't and was still met with this response, it's clear something's seriously wrong with her thinking process if not out right intentions.

[@jmua8450]

The smugness and arrogance is nauseating

[@alex_blockchanger]

Her condescension speaks to her sense of unaccountability....

[@jakemf1]

Spot on

[@greenthumb8266]

Yes , this.

[@ninianstorm6494]

@@greenthumb8266 aware by arrest every politician whom wants to stay in syria=end pentagon crazy spending=lower inflation> finally give all medi-dentalcare=lower operating cost=more innovation/jobs/menu items etc if trump goes to jail, then bush-obama-biden admin all deserved death penalty for rig 16y straight steal iraq-syria oil using stolen 2.3 trillion proxy war in places like libya 2010 wesley clark got blackmailed by hillary clinton= kzbin.info/www/bejne/laGqnHmDndRpedE putin files created to cover up coup 2014 nuland f eu with by obama greenlight shelling donbass 1>kzbin.info/www/bejne/lZ7Ve4V-rMeJfZo 2>kzbin.info/www/bejne/qpKclYqImKmIhqM 3> kzbin.info/www/bejne/f3PIg3Vtp7yelZo obama is bush 3-4th term, biden 5th kzbin.info/www/bejne/f5PJpIeZf6h-eqc kzbin.info/www/bejne/oJfQeaKci7GserM dnc smear looking into treat covid symptoms/travel bans but permit parades/riots, recall snitches get rewards? kzbin.info/www/bejne/oJKUnX-Vm51nbNE a. kzbin.info/www/bejne/hmKphoCafbplb8U\ dnc establishment kill 50 in vegas/portland, thugs attack with stand down cops san jose/charlotte, burn loot several months, sabotage afgan withdraw using russia bounty smear to give taliban equip, crash car in to wisconsin parade thanks to nbc follow jury bus smearing ritten house too kzbin.info/www/bejne/p2aZZ6Ofm8mhi5Y kzbin.info/www/bejne/i6nSfWuqfbiUbck

[@jonbetts8473]

And her audacity to suggest that an inability to complete an audit isn't a gaping hole for possible waste, fraud and corruption. Just wow.

[@stephenhawk8384]

Jon’s observation of “institutional thinking” was right on the mark. The DOD lives inside a bubble of their own making, and they seem incapable of seeing these issues from any other perspective.

[@LaurenBoston59]

They are the trust fund baby of and for corporate America. Spoiled, arrogant and narcissistic. They rely on the lowly soldiers to keep things going as planned while rewarding them with their crumbs.

[@trashyraccoon2615]

They’re a bunch of sociopaths

[@themacabreheart]

It's not all on the DOD; they're doing damage control. Congressional pork creates orders for equipment and products no one wants in order to line their masters' pockets and appease their local constituents at the cost of reallocating resources from departments and services that need it all in the name of staying in office. They don't care about active and vets; they care about the next election, and tapping the military's budget to boost their ratings is just one of their tools.

[@Alessio-OO7]

We have a homelessness crisis and that woman laughs we're wasting trillion of dollars

[@PhysicsBella]

They’re all bureaucrats

[@michaelbarron7400]

Gotta agree with Jon. I’m a financial accountant. Anytime something cannot be inventoried or accounted for by physical count, it is considered waste or more plainly, THEFT.

[@v.93]

Exactly!

[@peterbalholm2138]

I work at a municipal library. I accidentally dropped a penny on the floor today, and got down on my knees to look for it, because I know we will be audited. If the books do not balance, we will be held accountable. The Pentagon cannot account for 59% of its money and is rewarded.

[@redguyphil1]

What you don't use you lose year over year. I worked finance in the Marines 2012-16 and its comman practice dod-wide to price gouge or buy way more than is ever needed or used to eat up whatever remains in your budget so you not only don't get less but can justify asking for more, in the fear that if budget cuts do happen we're already prepared having more than we need.

[@sponkmcdonk3898]

You agree with John? Both of them are defining an audit the same way. That’s not profound. The point is, the money goes into a black hole of private defense contracts

[@breveth]

@@sponkmcdonk3898 that black hole is affectionately known as a slush fund.

[@JDunk-tg5vr]

I've been on the Fence about Jon Stewart, But this moved the needle for me....I really appreciate these questions being asked. More of This Jon. Keep it up

[@NeonPixels81]

The calm and casual way John just sets people up and watches them walk right into the mouse trap never cases to amaze me.

[@monharris28]

same he's incredible

[@bakubaku6204]

It's actually beautiful to watch. I've never seen anyone better at it

[@-Swamp_Donkey-]

Jews have many tricks

[@megamandrn001]

The only characteristics anyone needs to get into the positions she's in are arrogance and sociopathy. She sees a comedian like Stewart as beneath her, so sees no danger, when he's actually several times more capable and intelligent than she is.

[@Acesahn]

He was a stealth assassin here.

[@renegadeoffunk32]

She really spoke like someone that is everything we hate about what career politicians become when they are on this cruise control gravy boat of a system.

[@bigollameo]

She speaks not as a career politician, but as an entitled bureaucratic appointee whose legacy and decision-making is beyond reproach.

[@jackturner4917]

@@bigollameo She is a public servant and she is genuinely upset that she has to answer to the public. You know….for her department’s corruption! She should be groveling and apologizing to the vets and the taxpayers for this horrible situation. She should be promising to get to the bottom of it. She should be shouting from the roof tops that she will do all she can to put an end to a system that encourages no accountability. You might not of directly caused this but you sure as hell are complicit lady.

[@jerry2585]

For the life of me, I can't understand why it is so hard for people in power to admit that things are screwed up. Jon literally told her twice that he wasn't calling her out personally or blaming her, and yet she still was so condescending and smug to him.

[@tonywords6713]

Nobody is the villain of their own story

[@martinlutherkingjr.5582]

It’s the type of people in these positions. They are selected on the basis of their ability to schmooze, not competency. Imagine if we had some engineers in government leadership?

[@morimoko]

because the voters wouldn't give them a chance to fix it, we want "Yes We Can" men, and nothing else.

[@mho...]

thats what politicians need to be like to "make it" but its not good for the country -.-

[@bafranksbro88]

This is the type of person in any powerful role now, they know everything and us idiot citizens just don’t get it. I think it’s high time we get rid of them. We need critical people asking tough questions, not someone to grease the wheels to keep the money flowing.

[@alexes84]

How quickly she changed her attitude when confronted on these real life issues❤

[@TheAverageBearz]

This interview is so wild to me! Not only can she not answer an honest question without flipping it on Jon having an agenda. But she says the military doesn’t have a food insecurity problem, only to mention that this is exactly what they’re dealing with (“questions like do we have food available.”) Absolutely wild.

[@JosephProffer]

Not to take her side because I 100% agree with you on your other points, but I think what she meant was like what I go through. Eg working 3rd shift at a hospital, even in some major teaching hospitals, even for us that are considered white-collar, our food options are AWFUL. Gas station food / vending machines, essentially. That is most likely what she is referring to, which does fall into the category of food insecurity.

[@bloganc]

Oh ya she was just all over the place as she tried to make Jon seem. She was the one all over the place.

[@michaelminjares9141]

Actually, our military gets overpaid. If you start out enlisted as an E-1 up to E-4 without BAH or BAS then yes you are underpaid. But once you reach Staff Sergeant and and above you are making well above 60,000 to 100,000 a year. This is only for enlisted, officer pay is insanely more and retirees get paid around 5,000 per month. It’s insane!!! This is coming from prior service member.

[@dannyparrott7393]

@@michaelminjares9141 i wish my retirement was 5k, mine e6 retirement is like 1700 a month before taxes and medical!

[@Iloveswedes]

@@michaelminjares9141 I wonder if this is across the board or if it is regional.

[@who2u333]

John is one of VERY few in media that can stay on topic and maintain his thread when his conversation partner intentionally or accidentally tries to alter the topic. A comedian that ends up being the best interviewer the US has is an interesting commentary on the state of the media in the US.

[@PhysicsBella]

Not just a comedian, but political satirist for decades. It was his job to break down how politicians and talking heads think. If they taught media literacy in school he could teach a masterclass.

[@nah3193]

Russel Brand has gotten really good too

[@PhysicsBella]

​@@nah3193 I do like some of his content but I take him with a heavy grain of salt because he talks a lot of conspiracy.

[@gregcullers6064]

​@@PhysicsBella Too many of those conspiracies have come true.

[@Iloveswedes]

He and Russell Brand.

[@julianterry6837]

She is so grossly demeaning. She laughed at him and said he doesn’t know what an audit was. If it was flipped, he would be the mansplainer of the decade

[@PeachesandCream225]

Don’t deflect this corruption into a silly gender issue

[@Kyle-mz8ng]

Oh please

[@shaalis]

@@PeachesandCream225 it would also include the gender issue. If a man is going to be held to that higher quality of character, women ought to as well.

[@stickers11]

which is why mansplaning doesnt exist. its simply talking down to people lmao.

[@prozacdick]

@@shaalisthats not a gender issue. Thats a character issue.

[@Lisa-bh7kk]

As an Accountant, if I handled a client with such disregard and allowed them to fall further into debt with no guidance I'd be fired. Yet she sits there laughing when calmly questioned, can you imagine that behavior in a performance review.

[@Spiritof_76]

Her dismissive laugh screams power, wealth, and privilege.

[@ManyfiresWoman]

...and ignorance. She doesn't have all the answers and now she knows the audience knows it too.

[@rikmichaels9233]

Just the military

[@darinsingleton3553]

.. and the sheer, smug, contempt she has for anyone who would ever dare to even challenge her self-serving worldview, her imperial pronouncements, her orthodoxy.

[@sabin97]

there's no beast on earth more entitled than a white woman.

[@johndoe-ep7qk]

to me it's more nerves, deflection, and "how dare you ask me such questions!" yeah, annoying

[@Christoff191]

Jon backs up, processes the offense, then moves in for the kill. Like a god damn sniper of justice 😂

[@wingtipzzz]

Well put

[@StainsAndGrains]

You could see the moment where he took like a micro-nanosecond to readjust and then BAM....I loved that part, so focused.

[@tidypeaches]

Yes! Snap snap.

[@SANITIZEDINC]

Perfectly stated.

[@Walrus286]

Right. But when he interviews Condoleezza Rice and Hillary Clinton, he offers no pushback in their support of a 100 billion dollar (and counting) proxy war in Ukraine. His lack of consistency in being an anti war advocate is ultimate a disappointment and shows disgusting hypocrisy. He’s great here, but he’s been horrible for years.

[@DrJohn-rl9zg]

"Every gun that is made, every warship launched, every rocket fired signifies in the final sense, a theft from those who hunger and are not fed, those who are cold and are not clothed. This world in arms is not spending money alone. It is spending the sweat of its laborers, the genius of its scientists, the hopes of its children." President Eisenhower on the military -industrial complex

[@GlazeonthewickeR]

❤

[@d.thorpe2046]

the first draft of the speech named the military-industrial-congressional complex. they took the last part out.

[@eamorrison859]

I luv that speech.

[@boogaloobaloo]

@@eamorrison859 Damn shame it fell on utterly deaf ears.

[@eamorrison859]

@@boogaloobaloo exactly.

[@willman9567]

"The dollars really bothers you". That is a crazy statement by her. Especially in the mocking way she said it. Yes, B. That's the purpose of an audit.

[@Jasper118]

Ended a 20 year war and the budget goes up. That’s is a very important point he raised, people need to talk about this more.

[@kabirkumar5815]

What will talking do?

[@Jasper118]

@@kabirkumar5815 bring attention to it, maybe change some votes

[@AKDN91]

B/c keeping up with what the Chinese are doing to modernize their Navy costs money. They will try to invade Taiwan soon. The only thing stopping them are 11 US Carriers.

[@johntheboy6555]

Why should the US do anything about Taiwan? The US has various strategic interests in it, sure, but that’s the same reason they invaded Iraq. When is the US going to stop playing “world police” and start leaving other countries alone?

[@Jasper118]

@@johntheboy6555 I don’t think the US could ever fully back away from that role. At this point there are just too many treaties and what not to not be unless we want all of our partners going to China

[@dawnieb.7394]

WOW. The condescension from this woman is just staggering. Her sharp gestures and overall body language were screaming hostility. Jon in his infinite wisdom stayed remarkably calm and effortlessly came out on top here.

[@77Creation]

They were screaming Jon is right.

[@deanwhelan4107]

Womansplaining I guess

[@miswaridi4962]

2:58 Her: “Omg lol you’re so triggered that I can’t account for half a trillion dollars worth of tax payer money 🤣” Jon: Yes

[@charlesnelthorpe9252]

85% of a trillion dollars. another 15% would be a trillion dollars.

[@normalguycap]

That's an insane thing she did. That needs to be focused on. What a disgrace. Should be terminated from her position immediately.

[@samuelspiel8855]

In a more rational age, her behavior would result in her arrest and potentially public execution.

[@mikek9297]

Think about this next time you hear the question "How are you going to pay for that ?" Asked about your health insuranse, sick leave, retirement funds, basic services or infrastructure. NATO countries are building up their armies in haste. Russia just proved to be away less of a threat that anticipated and it's capabilities are being reduced every day.... time to re-direct some dollars away from this bottomless pit.

[@joyschlomer6866]

​@@normalguycapso what are we doing about this? Us watching this. Are we complicit if we do nothing when we witness this?

[@SB-gd7mh]

Wow, she was not ready for smart questions

[@samiral-alami186]

Been following him for years, and I am so glad he hasn't lost his edge.

[@LaEsquelaVieja]

Yep, he's still got that corporate sellout charm.

[@Power_to_the_people567]

@@LaEsquelaVieja And he openly admits it. He doesnt lie to people about it, he owns up to it. That doesn’t mean that he doesn’t call out our institutions for their grift against us. He is a human that benefits from a broken system the difference is that he uses those benefits to bring forth open discussion towards issues Americans care about and also uses his power to directly challenge corrupt politicians. Don’t attack the fighter for who he is. Who he is makes no difference in regards of the things he fights for. And he clearly has demonstrated that he fights for our veterans and our country.

[@EmsionProductions]

@@Power_to_the_people567 Dude’s a comedian, and has more journalistic integrity and responsibility than any large, news organisation we see today. It’s crazy!..

[@JohnDoe-td3xx]

@@EmsionProductions wonder if he could define the word Woman?

[@Thebobbyman]

@@JohnDoe-td3xx whats that have to do with anything?

[@ChristopherCricketWallace]

He's not being a jerk. He just asking about a basic level of financial diligence--same levels that are EXPECTED of regular moms and pops or we lose our jobs, homes, and families.

[@prismpyre7653]

Astonishing. This is how so many people in the military-industrial complex think of you and me and the citizenry-- with nothing but contempt and disdain, and no regard for the possibilities and the futures they've squandered. This is why Eisenhower warned us not to allow these corporations and contractors to take over our government. There should be no private profits from war or maintenance of a military.

[@captured_agent5714]

Correct. Unlimited time at the trough has made these pigs fat and entitled.

[@kevinjenner9502]

Eisenhower also commissioned the CIA’s first Two Coups, crimes in violation of International Law and the UN Charter…(Iran CIA Operation Ajax 1953) ( Guatemala CIA Operation PBSuccess 1954)

[@Talia_IceCreamPaints]

Found this while looking for a hearing from the DOD. The official website kept buffering, but one thing I heard a general say is that out of the 65,000 military offices where personnel perform their duties, 28,000 were confirmed to have mold in them.

[@davidpayant8684]

Jon, As a former prosecutor who did many embezzlement cases here are 2 things an audit does. First it will let you know if the purchase prices paid for goods are reasonable. I.E. no $500 hammers. Second it will uncover fraud. In a good audit the accountant takes a random sample of purchases and checks to see if the goods were actually purchased. For example, the auditor checks one of every 1,000 purchases and checks with suppliers to see if the goods were actually provided. This is a big check on fraud. The documents should match purchases. The lady is being disingenuous. Dave🐝🐝

[@lawrencegallagher9351]

Thanks for educating me in this area

[@kenea3226]

Well put.

[@chrisgraham2123]

Thanks

[@InternetMameluq]

I think her (duplicitous) point was that an audit is to evaluate the location of assets in an organisation... which can uncover fraud, as you said, yes.

[@Crap4me2]

It shouldn't be a foreign concept. Harry f-ing Truman made a name for himself going after this with the military during WWII.

[@DERIVATIVES-mh6ej]

She either is corrupt or has absolutely no idea how to control the budget she's been put in charge of. Absolutely incompetent.

[@JustSomePerson8]

Even if she was incompetent she'd be questioning if there was curruption. The fact she's avoiding that tells me she is currupt

[@Based_Sir887]

She’s a democrat lol so definitely corrupt more than likely.

[@engineking777]

She's corrupt as well. In us politics there is a lot of nepotism. For a fact, she's giving good contracts and deals to her family members and close friends

[@DERIVATIVES-mh6ej]

@@johnnyjericho8472 wtf do you mean source? Did you not just listen to what's happening in this video?

[@sarahruss5556]

There’s absolutely no way she’s incompetent and got to that level it’s corruption.

[@davewebster5120]

I'm embarrassed to see a representative in such a life-or-death position acting so childishly and entirely without accountability. Good work Jon. You were right, by the way. I was a Journalism Major and the purpose of Journalism has always been to: Comfort the Afflicted and Afflict the Comfortable. He has has every right to be kicking tires and asking questions.

[@theeNappy]

Wow she is NOT comfortable with these questions AT ALL

[@mranere]

I like how when he called her out for being condescending and smug about the conversation, she suddenly got serious.

[@rabblerousin8981]

Well this is terrifying. Thanks for coming back, Jon.

[@Brian-nv8ei]

And returned, the King has indeed.

[@outofthenorm7292]

My second question would be, what's so FN funny lady?

[@jamesgillen2339]

"In my world... if I gave you a billion dollars, and you can't account for it, that's waste." Well, Jon, your world is reality and her world is Washington.

[@drakus40k]

His world is not accounting. He's wrong on this one.

[@jamesgillen2339]

@@drakus40k "Citation needed" - Wikipedia

[@jamesgallucci6677]

It's not waste, it's theft!

[@jillyd4509]

This woman's arrogance is breathtakingly annoying and completely unnecessary. When did this interview take place?

[@abdul-razakalhassan1504]

Less than 30 minutes ago.

[@Nu63]

I don't see how she was put in her place, but she did respond defensively to an accusation of corruption. There isn't enough of the interview here for me to get anything else from it. Maybe you're referring to a later part.

[@Power_to_the_people567]

@@Nu63 She tried to use the “you don’t understand” argument. Which is a pretty dumb argument to make when coming from a high ranking official. If they ask for 800BILLION and they cannot account for a where is the money going to, then the system is either corrupt, incompetent or wasteful. That missing money can be used to advance other projects in our country, like infrastructure, technology, education, healthcare, housing, etc… Instead it is given to a system that cant even pass an audit. Stuart made a great point when he brought forth that argument and her answer best argumentation was to question wether or mot Stuart know what an audit is. When shes not able to justify why they should receive more money if they cannot account for where some of that money is going to and wether or not it is due to corruption, waste or incompetence, then she has no logical justification for why they should keep receiving such a big amount of money from taxpayers

[@Power_to_the_people567]

@@Nu63 Her next best argument was “why are you talking about the dollars” Because thats the whole point of a budget. The dollars and how it is managed

[@Nu63]

​@@Power_to_the_people567 I just think it's unethical to be making an exaggerated comment like that on a 6 minute clip. It also characterizes the conversation as good guy/bad guy - which would be fine on the full video, but not a 6 minute clip. It's just not enough to draw that conclusion.

[@zeog303]

Evasion, condescension, nuances and semantics are not an explanation as to why so much money is not accounted for and why rank and file is on food stamps. I am grateful that Jon keeps contributing to bettering society.

[@rowdy7480]

Rank & file have been on foodstamps for decades upon decades upon decades. I was in during the early 90's & some of my married buddies had to get foodstamps. It's disgusting, but it will never change.

[@OOnespec]

She almost blacked out during this. So many anchor point shifts, dry mouth, nervous laughter, and overall avoiding his hit points. Jon Stewart is using his platform so well, biggest applause and needs all the support to continue doing this.

[@notabene9804]

Jon Stewart being off the air was the best thing he could have done for his career as an interviewer; everyone forgot how much he slays, they only remember him as a comedian, and are completely unprepared for a real interview. Go gettem Jon.

[@irbull]

I’m surprised these people agree to go on air with him.

[@kimberlytross9864]

@@irbull Me too. Seems their arrogance is their downfall in underestimating Jon & underpreparing for his command of debate.

[@MatadorCE]

She went full Karen! And Jon just sat there and let her implode; legendary. This woman turned my stomach. The thought of having to account for every single penny given to the DoD by the taxpayers is apparently untainable for her and her bosses, plus laghing off serious problems is just despicable. She probably thought this was going to be a 'fun talk' with a comedian and wasn't expecting hard questions backed by facts.

[@migBdk]

It's 65% of the money they can't account for, it's not pennies...

[@jgom4674]

John is the perfect example of what a smart actual reporter should be. Why can't reporters be like him?

[@turbofairfield]

Because they are owned by networks which are owned by businesses which work with the government to ensure their reporters remain spayed and neutered.

[@stldweller]

Reporters can't be like him or else these government abusers would all stop doing interviews. you have to pretend to be a comedian to interview them.

[@Asti.sayAhstee]

Because the reporters that have exposure (MSM) will lose their jobs. Believe it or not, there ARE smart, bonifide investigative journalists even better at this than Jon. But they struggle with finding a platform and/or their work being seen, and getting paid for what they do.

[@Fizban321]

We won't as a society pay for them. His independent wealth allows him to be independent of influence. Self-preserving people will not do the job until and unless that is in place.

[@douglasjoyaholdingslimited2289]

because the reporters in corporate media are being paid by those who support the pentagon

[@garylarocca8499]

Could you imagine someone from the Trump administration giving these responses. The building they are in would have been set ablaze Let this be a key indicator of how inept government run by democrats behaves She should be fired before she even completes the discussion

[@timz9862]

You can tell by her posture, gestures and nervous laughter just proves she is being very defensive and knows she’s in the wrong. Jon has such cool composure as he asks his questions.

[@montlejohnbojangles8937]

Jesus I'm impressed how calm Jon is here. She's so flippant at every single turn for no reason.

[@jabeztomer]

it's a negotiation tactic that these people are trained to do. Be unreasonable at every turn and you get what you want. Because when you're unreasonable, your opponent becomes reasonable to try to calm things down and try to avoid conflict.

[@claiminglight]

@@jabeztomer That wouldn't be much of a tactic, were it true. Escalation is the typical response to escalation. People who keep calm heads are the exception, not the rule. Don't believe me? Read your own reply before you send it.

[@em4rtzz]

@@jabeztomer what lmao.. 9/10 people would've been in a shouting match with the way this lady was talking.. Stewart did an amazing job at keeping calm and collected which really threw her off and also made her look pretty stupid

[@brettd2308]

@@claiminglight Yeah, I've seen this sort of "unreasonable escalation" used as a negotiating tactic before, but only when someone wants to discredit an argument by provoking someone into emotional outbursts, then turning around and using those outbursts as a "gotcha". "Look how angry and unreasonable you're being!" they say, after deliberately provoking such a reaction.

[@rumfordc]

@@claiminglight no, escalation is the typical response in times of desperation. this is a televised and mediated interview, not a desperate situation which makes escalation highly unlikely.

[@Taz_Olson]

People underestimate Jon Stewart because he's a comedian but he is actually really well versed in his political knowledge, he knows what he's talking about and is pretty capable of challenging people on any level about things that just don't add up

[@maudepotvin8660]

He his much more than a comedian

[@AndyPhu]

Eh so so

[@mattsu5956]

He's a political pundit that has learned humor and sardonic statements to poke at political idiocy!!

[@B_Bodziak]

@@mattsu5956 So, you're implying that you don't mind if the DoD cannot account for $500 billion of their annual $858 billion -- every year for the last 6 years? Are you a leader in the Russian military??

[@AGClaymore]

Comedians are masters of thinking on their feet, reading the room and generating quick, cogent responses based on the material they've prepared. Jon always comes prepared.

[@zeiter71]

Changing Subject confirm waste frauds and corruptions. Good Job Jon.

[@456123ib]

The funny thing is, he is not only the greatest American satirist of our time, but an incredible journalist as well.

[@ytechnology]

The Mark Twain of our time.

[@fadenmac8092]

If only he'd run for President. Great mind, and he's a celebrity. USA is a country of celebrity whores (i.e. MAGA nation). Jon should primary Biden and send him out to pasture. We didn't sign up for two terms Joe. You're breaking the deal!

[@ninianstorm6494]

@@ytechnology aware by arrest every politician whom wants to stay in syria=end pentagon crazy spending=lower inflation> finally give all medi-dentalcare=lower operating cost=more innovation/jobs/menu items etc if trump goes to jail, then bush-obama-biden admin all deserved death penalty for rig 16y straight steal iraq-syria oil using stolen 2.3 trillion proxy war in places like libya 2010 wesley clark got blackmailed by hillary clinton= kzbin.info/www/bejne/laGqnHmDndRpedE putin files created to cover up coup 2014 nuland f eu with by obama greenlight shelling donbass 1>kzbin.info/www/bejne/lZ7Ve4V-rMeJfZo 2>kzbin.info/www/bejne/qpKclYqImKmIhqM 3> kzbin.info/www/bejne/f3PIg3Vtp7yelZo obama is bush 3-4th term, biden 5th kzbin.info/www/bejne/f5PJpIeZf6h-eqc kzbin.info/www/bejne/oJfQeaKci7GserM dnc smear looking into treat covid symptoms/travel bans but permit parades/riots, recall snitches get rewards? kzbin.info/www/bejne/oJKUnX-Vm51nbNE a. kzbin.info/www/bejne/hmKphoCafbplb8U\ dnc establishment kill 50 in vegas/portland, thugs attack with stand down cops san jose/charlotte, burn loot several months, sabotage afgan withdraw using russia bounty smear to give taliban equip, crash car in to wisconsin parade thanks to nbc follow jury bus smearing ritten house too kzbin.info/www/bejne/p2aZZ6Ofm8mhi5Y kzbin.info/www/bejne/i6nSfWuqfbiUbck

[@fishegg808]

He's become the best interviewer of our generation

[@Vendice]

from fake journalist to real journalist is just crazy

[@gyrene_asea4133]

Thank you to C-Span for putting this together and making it available. So much to unpack here that U.S. citizens need to listen to and decide.

[@Tone2K]

Her laughing is her attempt to minimize the issues to brush it off and a clear sign Jon made good points and hit some nerves. God bless Jon Stewart.

[@yourpillow454]

I wish John held political power outside of being the most honest and straight forward political commentator the world has ever seen

[@rexmago9966]

This is why I retired from the military… because leaders like her are in charge. It’s truly sad how these corrupt leaders are driving our military in the wrong direction. God help our service members.

[@willchurch8376]

Did you retire twenty five years ago? Rumsfeld announced the Pentagon couldn't account for 2.3 trillion dollars on Sep 10, 2001. I remember, because I was in back then. It's over twenty trillion these days that they expect the American tax payers to just shrug and accept.

[@rexmago9966]

@@willchurch8376 I retired last year May 2022. All this money going to waste while my Sailors had poor living conditions in their barracks and lack of morale welfare and recreation to make up for it. These politicians don’t care at all and thats one of the reasons why we are struggling with meeting our recruitment quotas among other bad things going on in our military. Extreme lack of support! Just horrible.

[@alderete74]

Saw it everyday

[@ymx7947]

@@willchurch8376 Close your eyes and let Joe Biden print more money for you.

[@joyschlomer6866]

We need to help ourselves, democracy a dynamic thing needing participation from those it protects. It's funny I know people protect 5.00$ with their life but do NOT vote, just so dumb! We are so dumb

[@billlyons7024]

Oh god you can tell by the tone of her voice that she is defending lies and knows it. She's going to show how sharp she is in handling a "difficult" interviewer. The problem is she has probably never received actual criticism from someone that doesn't get a paycheck for agreeing with her, so she has no idea that she is bad at it.

[@Wangan_W]

3:40 Damn this sent chills down my spine. Your department gets all that money and our vets are on food stamps? What the hell is with that?

[@nanoflower1]

Probably because many of the bases are in places that are fairly expensive. I think of a place like San Diego. It's probably okay for the officers but for the newly enlisted members it must put a tight strain on the budget.

[@kaixiang5390]

being a veteran does not entitle you to free food from the government for the rest of your life.

[@007bbox]

@@kaixiang5390 Fascinating reply.

[@Newt0rz]

@@kaixiang5390 Ah so they're entitled to your life? But you're not entitled to live? Funny how that works.

[@Gilamath.]

@@kaixiang5390 Indeed. Which is why they shouldn’t be on food stamps. They should be buying their own food, with the money that’s rightfully theirs but which they’re not getting, even though the department that doles out their salary just got an extra $50 billion. People who do necessary work should be paid enough money to afford necessities

[@doadave31]

Tell the IRS that an audit is not used to find waste, fraud and or abuse.

[@denisecrawford5289]

I’ve worked for the government in a couple of capacities. She does represent some of the top people I’ve been around. They operate as if it is theirs and they can do what they want without accountability. We should be able to track every cent.

[@21972012145525]

Why is she laughing and being condescending . Kudos to Jon for not exploding

[@adamc5057]

I've been a PP&E accountant for 20 years now and the notion the DoD can't track it's inventory is indicative of one thing: THEY DON'T WANT TO (probably because they know the money goes to stuff that never shows up) I work for a large NP and if we can allocate resources to track inventory, the DoD sure AF can too

[@HughJass-313]

y u hate America bro? 😜

[@alalalala57]

​@@HughJass-313 y u hate money bro?

[@TheGord]

@@HughJass-313 Why you hate accountability Mr. Jass?

[@orionide4032]

As someone who uses the gear america produces i can say that the money is used properly. High quality products that do the job.

[@orionide4032]

​@@TheGord why do you assume before knowing the facts?

[@weston.weston]

Jon is a comedian but takes these issues very seriously. I like how he cut the laughs and spoke seriously, earnestly, and directly to her She continuously giggled and could not match his arguments.

[@sam9671]

"he's the comedia jon stewart everyone ha ha he's so funny"

[@ERAforALL]

She clearly didn’t watch Jon’s interviews with Jim Cramer and Tucker Carlson. He destroyed them both, with no satire.

[@tomsko863]

@@ERAforALL There was some satire in those. He says serious things in a very straightforward grounded way to bring things down to earth for people who try to obfuscate the reality. In his interviews he always keeps the pressure on to get a complete answer, where so many other interviewers just accept the BS answer they get and then move onto their next question.

[@bikebudha01]

John doesn't take shit seriously. If he did, he'd run for office where he could actually do something about the issues...

[@jayandreas1131]

To be a comedian of his level you have to be extremely smart and it’s great to see he puts that intelligence to good use in other areas.

[@Kickbackske]

she is absolutely toxic

[@PaulRizzo504]

The 850 billion that the defense department sets on fire should bother EVERYONE and noone is laughing except this lady.

[@Vort_tm]

To be fair, about half of that goes to pay and provide support to soldiers. I'm all for smarter defense spending, but that whole 850 isn't just metaphorically set on fire.

[@shawn47240]

There are more than just this lady laughing unfortunately

[@Vort_tm]

@Jebus Hypocristos WTF are you even talking about? Paying soldiers is indefensible? You would have gone overseas pro-bono? And the support may vary across experiences, but I happen to enjoy my TRICARE and BAH and all the programs that USO runs, so I don't think it's too terrible. I mean, what was your premise here? "I'm the only person who's ever served so other commenters must be civilians with no perspective. I'm gonna attack a comment that criticizes military spending but makes a caveat for soldier support." Classy.

[@sarahinsf]

@@Vort_tm I think you and Jebus Hypocristos are on the same side?

[@Vort_tm]

@@sarahinsf I think so too! That's why I didn't understand his reaction.