Jon Stewart: Military Secrecy and DOD Budget | War Horse Symposium

Jon Stewart and US Deputy Secretary of Defense Kathleen Hicks discuss government secrecy, the DOD budget, military family issues, and the implications of the military and civilian divide, during the 2023 War Horse Symposium.
The War Horse News hosted the conversation on April 6, 2023, at The Reva and David Logan Center for the Arts, in partnership with The University of Chicago's Harris School of Public Policy.
The War Horse is an award-winning nonprofit newsroom focused on the human impact of military service. The newsroom's reporting has led to bipartisan changes in military policy and federal law, and is the recipient of three Edward R. Murrow Awards, and the Robert F. Kennedy Human Rights Journalism Award. The War Horse's writing workshops are the preeminent professional development program for veterans and military spouses in journalism.
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[@AdamHMortimer]

For Jon to maintain such composure when she was clearly speaking down to him was quite admirable.

[@PrimordialEconomics]

She was squirming..

[@edub9930]

She was so patronizing at different moments i literally face palmed myslef in disbelief

[@aaron4387]

@@edub9930to Jon’s credit I do believe he showed her she was being aggressive, defensive and petulant and she recognized it too. The interview turned the corner and got more cohesive.

[@kalijasin]

It was disgusting watching her speak. She was just toeing the line and putting out talking points. She shows no empathy for what veterans go through and do.

[@rsr789]

@@kalijasin or humanity to go forward, I hate to admit this, but it's demonstrably true: people who through their actions show that they have no empathy, humanity, or want to be part of civilization (i.e. want to be above it), need to go... into fertilizing farmland.

[@wraith8323]

This woman is like a combination of a corporate legal team and PR department all in one. I'm sure she's quite intelligent, but her replies sound like the heavily rehearsed soundbites of a culpable executive getting grilled by congress. That said, credit to her for taking on the conversation and HUGE props to Jon as always for staying on message and empathetic without antagonizing the guest.

[@trillion1022]

Bless your heart

[@d.wright2725]

A good interview. Especially considering it was with a senior DOD official. It’s a shock to even see Stewart and Hicks in the same room. In public. Also, consider Deputy SECDEF Hicks comes from three monastic enclaves. 1. Academic 2. DC Beltway 3. Military. Does this justify her defensive and condescendingly Capitol Hill committee styled responses? No. But it certainly serves to explain the style. There are certainly a lot of positives to take from this interview, chief of which would be for Pentagon officials to never view Stewart as an ally to them keeping their job. Instead interview prep should be geared to seeing Jon (and those like him) as an ally to all our nation’s service members, veterans and our families. Hicks and VA Secretary McDonough have been the only DC Fobbits to my knowledge whom have taken the Stewart gauntlet challenge. Who from the Biden WH has been grilled by Stewart? This engagement seems like a different step for Hicks and the Pentagon. That’s positive action forward. That’s evolving….though yet slowly and painfully. Much like mainstream media struggles for relevance, so does the Pentagon. ☮️🇺🇸☯️

[@Prince36300]

@@d.wright2725 Its not really positive. It's just another version of corporate spin. If you aren't willing to acknowledge and address the root problem of an issue, then your solutions will almost always fall short. Thats why Jon was so frustrated with her. He wants to actually solve the problem and she only wants to communicate that her administration is taking steps.

[@d.wright2725]

@@Prince36300 I was very deliberate in how I framed positive. More deliberate than your myopic observation by understating there’s only “one” problem here🤔 and somehow even saw the opportunity to slide in some false equivalence. Hicks addressing skill bridge (which is a big win in the Veteran community) as one of the positives I make reference to probably went unnoticed by you. As did her repeated cultural talking point about the need for national voluntary service. You probably wouldn’t lump sum DOD and Pentagon in the same “corporate box” if you really understood what I meant in comparing main stream media (specific) with the Pentagon seeking relevance. Remind me again which “corporation” mitigated circumstances on January 6th to prevent a coup d’etat? Did you notice I addressed Hick’s shortcomings in the three areas which indubitably led to this less than flattering social media viral spring break moment? I am more frustrated with how the sausage is made at DOD than Stewart will ever be. I also appreciate Stewart as one of the most accountable journalist in the business. But please remember to use some context by remembering Stewart is only able to frame DOD problems the same way Johnnie Cochran highlighted LAPD abuse and corruption. Messily. Hicks even being in the same room as Stewart is a win. Like I said before, evolving. Slowly and painfully. It will be interesting to see what’s next for the Pentagon’s external community engagements. ☮️🇺🇸☯️

[@Lazzil]

@@d.wright2725 That was very well articulated! Thank you! I think it's crucial that government officials do everything they can to win back the public's trust and keep important institutions from being demolished. Seeing this conversation unravel has given me hope that our country will not only continue with its current level of prosperity, but expand it to the masses who've long been neglected. There are many things I appreciate about the internet and the kinds of successes it has enabled, but it has also created spaces for bad actors to abuse their platform and create chaos within society. That may be why we're seeing high-ranking government officials such as the Deputy Secretary of Defense come out and address concerns about the department. What that means to me is that the government is finally taking this issue seriously and doing what they can to restore people's faith in institutions.

[@joejacobbi193]

Department of Defense is spot on because Kathleen Hill sure was defensive!

[@Wafaloo]

LOL. Department of Defensive

[@robertnicholls9917]

lol

[@bassfaceinspace]

Top notch comment. 👏 👏 👏

[@roseking8555]

Yes. 😂 This comment deserves 10000 likes!! You won the internet!!!

[@Fantastic-One]

Omg lol very clever😂

[@13groulx]

She put on a masterclass in talking without answering anything.

[@Northstar1989]

And lying blatantly about nearly everything... "We didn't have a DoD until 1947." Blatant lie (and ironic she portrayed that as a fact-check), that was just when the process of re-naming and re-organizing the "Department of War" was completed (a name change is hardly a worthy fact-check here...) "We're having trouble with [filling] AmeriCorps, PeaceCorps." Another lie. Actually, these programs are EXTREMELY underfunded. They maintain "highly competitive" recruitment that, especially in the case of PeaceCorps, turns a very large fraction of applicants away. They're ONLY having trouble with recruiting in the same way a business that says this when they already get 10 applicants for every job... (they just want to be free to be even more picky, and make people more "grateful for the opportunity" so they won't complain about abuses, underfunding, or incompetence...)

[@erinhelt633]

Spot on.

[@simplethings9683]

Kamala Harris must be her role model. Low IQ, her body language tells it all. Dr.BS.

[@markmusial7708]

No she said it "fuck you ".

[@GeorgeBonez]

This is the DOD. They answer to no one. Not even the President and if the president gets too big for his britches they will call up their buddies at the CIA and have him gently placed right beside JFK

[@Laceylunai]

What a corporatist shill. Always a joy to watch Jon interview these human-shaped disappointments.

[@wraith8323]

I was angry after watching this interview and this woman's aloof condescension, but your comment made me laugh 😂

[@rembrandt972ify]

I don't see how you can be disappointed by her. You didn't think she would be honest or transparent, did you?

[@GreyKnight7777]

@@rembrandt972ify She was neither of those things. Also, her attempt at a gotcha in the form of "do you even _know_ what an audit is?" backfired hilariously. He told her exactly what it was, she conceded he was correct, and proceeded to meltdown to the core of the planet.

[@Laceylunai]

@@wraith8323 I’m glad I could make you laugh 😁 We all need laughs after that corporate shill.

[@neverlearn2814]

These horrible people believe their own lies. I feel sorry for everyone who has to own up to being related to persons such as these.

[@BiggieCK1]

This needs to go fucking viral this is one of the best case of holding power to account in a straightforward way trying to fix it and showing the blatant problems that allow the corruption to continue

[@tchalla7828]

Agreed. I searched out full interview for a reason.

[@BrandonJohnson-bx1ht]

Whatever dude how is this making anyone accountable? She basically mocks John stewart and the American people. She should be in jail for her and each and every authorized spender of the DOD budget that has dollars unaccounted for under their watch. That would be holding power to account. All this is doing is allowing the big bully to gloat over the American tax payer who just had our lunch money taken. John stewart is great but he still treated this maniac with kid gloves.

[@pluntchgunster6156]

I think it did.

[@A-Distant-Star]

I hope your important request comes true!!! Thank you for pushing this forward!!!

[@rsr789]

The best way of holding power to account is guillotines, they cut straight to the point.

[@lawmansama]

Jon Stewart Isn't a Demarcate, Jon Stewart isn't a Republican, Jon Stewart is an American. We need more people like him.

[@TinyTC]

A patriot, in fact.

[@ashleyen3]

Oh he's most certainly a Leftist and that's a great thing 👍

[@stephenwithaph1566]

Although it is important to note he is, in fact, a democrat

[@MrRogers1219]

What is a "Demacrate"? I don't think anybody is that...

[@erinhelt633]

PREACH! He's simply identifying subjects that need change, and calling attention to them, and even identifying subjects that DO work well, and calling attention to that! It's fact-based, not partisan, and I always enjoy the manner with which he approaches these conversations.

[@rbjunior22]

Jon Stewart is an American treasure

[@josephbrowniii260]

Jon - you have a PhD in keeping it real and a Black Belt in presenting, succinctly, Truth & Facts that is the backbone of worthwhile public discourse! Thank You!

[@A-Distant-Star]

Well said, Joseph!

[@JohnDDyer]

I’m j 14:27 years w😂 14:55 14:59 months sssas😅e on okkksooand 😅still still waiting 😅😅😊😮😊😊😅www😅😅😅😅😅😊 18:44 😅😅k 19:02 okooo 19:23 😊

[@YoDnAdDiVaD]

Yet again I applaud Jon Stewart for being the comedian who puts more work in then most elected officials and it’s as amazing as it is disheartening.

[@joshk.6246]

This ^^^^ 💯 %! Especially the disheartening part.

[@A-Distant-Star]

I'm so happy that Jon gave up "comedy" to allow his true "calling" to come to the front, ie. an extremely perceptive, intelligent and excellent communicator! Jon, please keep up your GREAT work!!!

[@Rick-bi9fw]

Dear God this woman is an awful liar. She's a pathological liar.

[@tinybludot]

Jon Stewart 2024!

[@kalijasin]

She was laughing at Jon Stewart when he said, "I was Abandoned by my government and hung out to dry"

[@justin79811]

Everyone should watch this. Very enlightening how this woman views the population.

[@stellabailey2449]

She’s basically disgusting.

[@FastVideoProdInNash]

I think the willingness to show up despite his reputation for holding people’s feet to the fire is respectable. This individual didn’t create these issues and the shuffling of leadership adds to the dysfunction that’s present.

[@5324man1]

@@FastVideoProdInNashes but she got defensive as if she was the person who created these issues, when Jon was asking very regular questions lol. He didn’t even pose them as if it was her fault & she still was condescending

[@tsvetahristova1006]

Jon Stewart is a national treasure. His incredible ability to see through the bullshit of whoever sits across him and to call them on it until they break, never ceases to amaze me…His interviews should be taught in Journalism classes - it is purely inspirational. When a simple comedian is more eloquent and intelligent than 90 percent of the politicians and journalists in this country.

[@laurakillian4758]

He’s not just a comedian. He’s sharp and perceives the comedy behind the idiocy of cultures quirks. Bringing light to it does encourage change unless arrogance and denial set in

[@itissany]

Having worked in audits earlier in my career, I fail to understand how this lady can claim there is no waste, fraud and abuse if she doesn’t know where the money went??? These people think we are all fools!

[@largemargeog1023]

What she can’t say is that they spend money on things and in ways that the DoD feels can’t be public knowledge. In their mind they would be giving away information that would help their enemies. Due to that fact and that fact alone, in their mind they can’t be audited. The problem of course is that this is an obviously risky dilema to have left unresolved. They also can’t say that because they could be politically forced to be audited which would undermine what they determined to be necessary.

[@willsmith39]

​​@@largemargeog1023 OMG are you being serious? 100's of billions of dollars in contracts to these same few companies every f#ckin time who in turn spend 10's of millions on lobbyists in Washington to both get those contracts in the first instance and then ensure no hard questions ever get asked. The military constantly pleads poverty when it comes to looking after veterans of these wars, clear on every penny spent but when it comes to propogating them 61 percent of the budget we are f#cking clueless about suddenly. That box of Haliburton military grade paper clips🙄 at 1000x wholesale isn't something we need to worry about. We had spent - conservatively - 2.3 TRILLION dollars on these wars in Iraq and Afghanistan up until 2021 and the only thing I think it's safe to say with conviction about all that money is that it didn't go to looking after our fighting men and women when they returned from the conflict zone. I hate to use the term "military industrial complex' because it's been so co-opted by the tin foil hat brigade for their own purposes in recent years, but it's rotten ti the core. Utterly corrupt. Until we have comprehensive campaign finance reform and get the 100's of millions spent in paying off our elected officials out of the system nothing is going to change.

[@lonnygordon9189]

Back from a war … There is a Great War in our society and culture ongoing as most currently happening - Supreme Court Ethics, Gun Murders, Education Edicts, Rump corruption, Deadening of Human Spirit, lack of ECOLOGY OF THE HUMAN SPIRIT AND VISIONARY ADVANCEMENT. ❤

[@outoftheforest7652]

I mean Oh remember the time that 2.3 TRILLION Dollars went missing the DAY BEFORE 9/11??? remember that ? hahaha.. what a fun time.. remember that? Oh and remember all the CASH that went missing DURING the Iraq war... and oh all the shoddy military contractor work by KBR and Halliburton (Rumsfelds company)

[@A-Distant-Star]

YOU ARE SOOOO SPOT-ON!!!

[@andrewaaberg482]

You can always see Jon's disappointment creep in with a guest's talking points, when they only ever focus on spin rather than an honest discussion. That was immediate in this interview.

[@Rick-bi9fw]

This woman is an awful liar. She's a pathological liar.

[@Rick-bi9fw]

Funny how jon attacks everyone in all his other interviews but in this interview he's so polite and doesn't press the issue. He attacks people in all his other interviews but here it's not. Hes a Democrat stooge. What a fucking joke this guy is.

[@Kevinschart]

He did his job here. Her dismissive and condescending responses to Jon are a direct reflection of every point that Jon was making in this talk.

[@Rick-bi9fw]

@gomarcphil he did not do his job. He's a punk. With everyone else who doesn't have half her power or authority he's a rude condescending prick. With her who more at fault than anyone else he basically kissed her butt.

[@jackcoleman1784]

It's like he gets this look on his face like "you really are going to make me have to savage you with facts aren't you? You really can't just be fucking honest."

[@SuperDancingdonkey]

I worked for people like this woman, put in a position so they can continue to sell the narrative of the business, sells their soul to spit out nonsense that is far from the truth. Cannot tell the difference between reality and the world they build in their mind. Can't take any kind of criticism and innately attacks anyone who is simply trying to show them a different way of life.

[@kevine.lemaster8473]

Completely agree

[@rd264]

nearly every business has a false narrative and devalues and abuses anyone who questions it.... shes exactly what Id expect to find at DOD and any other gov agency. I worked 20 years for EPA and DOJ and mgmt there was full of it exactly like her. John surely knows that she will not admit anything and sing a different tune.

[@sutekh233]

It's not even a different way of life, it's the difference between working "in the office" and working on the "front lines", and that's as true for the private sector as it is for the public sector. Corp double speak is what these people ingest every day of thier lives, lying without lying, "feeling your pain" while truly not caring is what they are paid to do. Meanwhile it is the front line, be they checkout operators, teachers or service members who actually DO the job who get paid the least, are given the least respect and given the worst services who suffer day in and day out. If anyone has read all of Hitchhikers guide to the galaxy, these people are the second ark, the ones where the world is improved when they are sent into space when the workers and designers stayed behind.

[@jeremyweems4916]

These kind of people only exist in corporations and governments.

[@douglaswarnold]

I strongly urge the DOD and VA to read all of the great comments from this symposium. People much smarter and experienced than I have made excellent points in this comment section. Jon Stewart IS an American Treasure.

[@paulo9673]

That's like asking the mob to read the laws surrounding murder.

[@Puert0ricandream]

Theyd laugh in your face, just like she did to him

[@daltonwilson2553]

This deserves millions of millions of views

[@kevinzavala106]

This interview highlights all the issues within the DOD. Her condescending demeanor towards ACTUAL problems facing our service members is truly sad. The abuse I received while in this service didn’t come from deployment or war. It came from the exact institution that trained me which is was the U.S. Marine Corps. I left the service because of the abuse I received from my own brothers and sisters. There is a very big problem in the DOD and the fact that the deputy defense secretary’s doesn’t recognize means they genuinely do not care for the men and women sacrificing their lives for their country.

[@denizen7even]

We need to abolish the military, shipmate

[@retro2103]

​@@denizen7even That would be silly unless you can 100% guarantee other countries will also do so. Which I doubt you can.

[@kylegonewild]

@@denizen7even In an ideal world my friend, I'm sure no normal soldier would disagree. That's not the world we live in right now though. Maybe one day, but right now a military that is efficient AND supportive of its members physical and mental wellbeing during and after service is better for all of us.

[@fatherbewithme]

Ppl have to understand the folks in charge don't care, most only care about themselves because with the amount of money taken from the American ppl every year, no American service member should be facing food insecurity!

[@LeSpade72]

​@@denizen7even Uh without the military I would be out of a job and without the military there is nothing to protect any country's interest which will boil down to your interests/way of life

[@leadersoundproductions4666]

incredible body language going on here... John put her on the back foot and kept her there. what an excellent interviewer

[@A-Distant-Star]

Thank God for Jon Stewart!!! The world is a better place because of him and his brilliant brain, sharp tongue and tremendous compassion for the human condition. It is nice to know that we, who love life, have such a person to voice our deepest thoughts and hopes for humanity! Thank you, Jon!!! Please never get to "Gethsemane" !!! Craig from Sweden

[@JackMcClendon]

John Stewart is a tremendous advocate of our valorous military volunteers.

[@BrandyYoureAFineGirl]

This is the hardest thing to watch her gaslight him all over the place as well as love bombing him by praising him. I don’t think she really understands what she is doing. It’s very toxic. I’m really glad Jon did this. He’s the one to help make change happen. As a society we need to stop giving the government so much power in the lobbying game!

[@travisprugh6347]

narcissism man

[@jbuell311]

It’s so satisfying watching a genuine person pick apart a generic person.

[@MehrdadParthian]

jon stewart is a genius. he lets people in with open arms and a calm tone and then prosecutes them with their own words slipping off their tongues while laughing.

[@kalijasin]

She was laughing at Jon Stewart when he said, "I was Abandoned by my government and hung out to dry"

[@kalijasin]

That was utterly shocking. This woman has No conscious or heart!!

[@Tipasa100]

The smugness, sense of entitlement, and intellectual arrogance of this "public servant" made it very hard to watch the whole interview.

[@kenlandon6130]

Eh it was mostly fine. She got a little too defensive about corruption but other than that it was fine.

[@Northstar1989]

Oh yeah... She's just a blatant liar, too. I.e. "we didn't have a Defense Department until 1947." TECHNICALLY true- but only in a very gross sense. That is, we renamed the "Department of War" to the "Department of Defense" and slightly reorganized it. That hardly counts as not having a military or a bureaucracy in charge of it, which was Jon's obvious point...

[@anthonyprovenzano948]

Came here to say that

[@RickMcCargar]

An organization that can't pass an audit, has no basis upon which to make the next financial request. There is another option beyond waste, fraud and abuse...incompetence.

[@Puert0ricandream]

​@@RickMcCargarexactly. DoD is the ONLY departments to fail an audit. It failed 7

[@janna1878]

Jon Stewart is absolutely brilliant! He nails it with his astute intelligence in respectfully responding to every shameful thing she says. Thank you!

[@MrLomaxximo]

Jon Stewart 2024

[@Mrjonnyjonjon123]

John stewart 2028 😭

[@jeremyweems4916]

No.

[@Mrjonnyjonjon123]

@@jeremyweems4916 why not?

[@jeremyweems4916]

@Mrjonnyjonjon123 Because there's at least 10,000 better candidates. He's good at entertaining. Cool. Why would that make him the best qualified candidate to run the biggest empire since Rome?

[@Mrjonnyjonjon123]

@jeremyweems4916 because nobody trust those politicians cause they feel fake and focas grouped, we kinda lost an election over it. Someone like Stewart, has fought for policies in the past in Congress, believes in stuff and fights for those things, as well as being charismatic, and even being liked my Republicans, that's someone who can steer the Democratic Party back on its feet.

[@alexanderknutz94]

What an insufferable woman. I’m amazed and impressed by Mr. Stewarts ability to keep his cool this whole time. Thank you for all you guys are doing.

[@nolberding]

We don't deserve Jon Stewart. His eloquence, composure, and determination to get to the truth is admirable to the highest regard. The ability to confront someone regarding a societal problem they directly affect while remaining civil, which appears to be difficult in this day and age, and produce a serious and inquisitive discussion around the topic is quite an amazing feat.

[@wellreadbeef]

Totally agree, Nick. Far too many agree to sit with Jon, thinking he's just a witty comedian. Jon, if nothing else, can spool up on any subject he believes in and go toe to toe any time. His being a comedian just lets him put someone in their place so velvet gloved, they don't realize what has happened. He's phenomenal on many levels.

[@A-Distant-Star]

PERFECTLY SAID! Thanks!

[@ChristopherWarrior]

The reason it's so difficult to get people to join the military is because the military has a history of abandoning those who serve after they complete their service. Additionally, they have a history of punishing those who blow the whistle on corruption within the DOD. I hope the doctor told the truth, and the DOD is really taking major steps to fix issues within the organization. Honestly, I'll believe it when I see it. Thank you JS for standing up for Americans and speaking truthfully to power.

[@A-Distant-Star]

The problem is that the "military recruiters" offer the "bottom of the barrel" a fantasy future... all so the recruiters can meet their monthly quotas... so much for the "all volunteer army"... just another name for Wagner, in Russia!!!

[@robertdiggins7578]

Plus, heroin comes into Chicago and other hubs on military planes. Politicians are corrupt an-d/or compromised by foreign and domestic IC. FBI WB Sibel Edmonds gave names crimes sources under oath in open court against FBI wishes and even with a press release beforehand no 1 reporter came. But you can get the transcript for free. In the public record. The lies are too big. We'rec|\

[@robertdiggins7578]

KRIKORIAN v SCHMIDT 2009 Sibel Edmonds sworn deposition FYI there was one cover story in the Nov 2009 American Conservative Magazine called Who's Afraid of Sibel Edmonds?

[@Kevinschart]

I was all set to join the military after high school in 2000. No college plans, no trade school plans, I wanted to serve. I was a good student and had other options. My father, a military vet, strongly urged that I consider those other options. He spoke about the very issues that Jon brought up, as well as his concern about GW II and what he might do if he won the election. Sure enough GW II won the election and we found ourselves at war a year or so later. I decided to enroll in university and get a business degree. Every now and then he'll bring up that story, and I think as a father he believes he may have saved my life, or my limbs. There's still a piece of me that regrets not signing up, but I do believe it was the right decision.

[@markusmath3421]

@@Kevinschart I was born in 2000. I have no interest in serving but the experience of basic training is something that interests me. I wish I could just do that and then leave lol.

[@RyouConcord]

Thank you for making this. I wish people would ask the hard questions to our government officials more often because I feel like our democracy is unraveling because of the inefficiencies and corruption that are so deeply rooted in this unjust system

[@gloobark]

I'd say the inefficiencies are an artifice of the corruption itself

[@Sam_Miller]

You can tell she was expecting a soft interview.

[@ifmbm332b]

Those difficult question used to be asked by journalists. No longer.

[@kendrapetrick649]

Katie Porter does a pretty good job as well. Love her

[@Kevinschart]

@@ifmbm332b the 24 hour news cycle demands that "journalist" stay chummy with these people. they need them on the shows to sell advertising. Can't sell advertising if you've scared off all the overlords with real questions.

[@michaeldavis3819]

Kudos to Jon Stewart for this interview, and for his help getting the PACT Act passed. I think Ms. Hicks did fairly well with this interview. Obviously she's not going to come out and admit that the current administration has a message/spin they want to put on everything (as every administration does). I think she highlighted some important things to consider, but could have done a better job with some of it: Not being able to pass an audit doesn't prove that there's corruption, fraud, waste, and abuse... but it damn sure raises the question. It's valid to say that we need to build the systems to pass the audit, which takes time and investment. She should also have brought up that a challenge faced when implementing solutions is that Congress has to sign off on it, which means that at minimum it will take time to get resources allocated, but she didn't bring that up. She should also have said that the VA isn't part of the DOD, and Congress has to sign off on the systems talking to each other, which makes getting solutions to that problem far more complicated. I'm glad Jon brought up the withdrawal from Afghanistan. Between that and the failure of Congress to take care of the veterans, those are probably two of the biggest problems for recruitment these days. I'd say the next biggest is that in the age of TikTok, any kid thinking about joining can look and see a million videos about what sucks about the military. Couple that with a lot of corporations now offering to pay for college and providing other comparable benefits to what the military provides, and you have a recipe for problems. No wonder we can't meet recruiting goals. Great interview. Glad Jon asked the hard questions. Loved what he brought up about lobbyists. I think there ought to be a fund like he described. Keep up the great job!

[@Indarow]

Jon is the President we need, but not the one we deserve.

[@EndertheWhite]

This comment makes me sad because it is true.

[@rembrandt972ify]

Too bad we can't get him to run.

[@kylebutler682]

A new President won't solve OUR problems (not that I wouldn't like that). grassroots, it all starts there.

[@rembrandt972ify]

@@kylebutler682 True, but it would be a start.

[@Indarow]

@@kylebutler682 true, but you can’t deny his Supreme Court justice picks would be on point, and a helluva step in the right direction for this country.

[@hogman7210]

It took the VA 17+ yrs to approve my documented injury as a service related disability. In that time, I had to pay for a hip surgery and all my medical expenses in regard to my hip. When they did approve it they gave me 10%. I am forced to get approved for FMLA because I have to take random time off from my job, and it keeps them from firing me. It locks up on me and keeps me from getting out of bed sometimes. They denied me at least 5 times. I was made to feel guilty for trying to get disability by the doctors at the VA.

[@CreatureCargaux]

That’s ridiculous. My exes brother was going through the same shit & he had a whole laundry list of things that he needed help with & because he was given the run around for so long & his health issues/injuries prevented him from living a normal, independent life.. he had to rely on his family to help him everyday.. he ended up taking his own life because he didn’t want to be a burden on his family & his country. The way that this country treated him made him feel like being alive, asking for what was rightfully his… what he was rightfully owed… made him a burden on society.. that is the most fucked up thing ever. He risked his life. Gave his body & mind & sacrificed everything (just like you did) for this country & he was treated as if he didn’t deserve basic human rights.. like he didn’t deserve what he was promised. NOBODY should feel that way. ESPECIALLY veterans. It makes me fucking sick. These politicians are just.. despicable.. this country is so broken & while everyone is sitting here crying about “gay books” & bud light there are people suffering & nothing is getting better. It makes me so angry. This is why Jon needs to run for office! Anyway, I’m sorry you have been going though that for so long. It’s not right. You deserve better. I can’t imagine what it’s like to be lied to & pushed around like that, especially after all that you have given to this country. Thank you for sharing your experience & thank you for your service. ❤

[@Lycan_God]

That's just fuckin horrible. It took one second for u to sacrifice ur body for this country but it takes 17yrs for the government that's runs the very country u faught for to help u? And even then the help wasn't even help.. smfh

[@erinhelt633]

​​@@CreatureCargauxYour brother's experience should NEVER be dished out to our vets! I get so angry watching the vets in my life, and those around the country - this country that asked so fucking much from them - having to fight to simply be acknowledged as a human fucking being. It means so little, I know, but I truly am just so very heartbroken to know that this was your's and your brother's experience, and that it led him to feel so unseen that he decided that suicide was the appropriate choice. God, I'm just so, SO sorry. We need to, as a country, decide that we are GOING TO repair and correct the way we treat our vets. This current nonsense is just disgusting.

[@alishaperdue810]

My hubby is going through the same. He has been out for almost 20 years. Did 3 combat tours in the Middle East. Has severe ptsd and hearing loss from being blown up. He has spent almost twenty years now dealing with addiction, depression, anxiety, homelessness and a whole list of other stuff. He has been denied disability for his ptsd multiple times now even tho drs from multiple VAs have written about how bad his ptsd is. He can’t hold a job for more than a couple months. His entire life has been changed. This last time they denied his claim bc “his dates didn’t match what they had in his file” as far as when stuff happened. How is he supposed to remember what dates things happened 20 years ago. And if they have it right in the file and the incidents match what does it matter if his dates do? It’s infuriating! His life has been ruined. He doesn’t have kids if his own. How can he when he can’t even handle himself. He loves my son as his own and he says that’s enough. But how is that fair. I was in the air force and while I loved the job and camaraderie I was treated horrible. We wouldn’t tell our son to join if it was the last thing he could do. Why would we wish this life on any one else. They talk about having a sense of pride and having that camaraderie as being reasons people join. It’s great while your in but then once your out that’s it gone and you spend the rest of your life looking for it. I’m sorry you are getting the run around as well. I pray you keep fighting and get what you deserve. And thank you for your service! 🇺🇸🫡

[@Andy_Babb]

I wish all politicians cared about America and Americans’ well-being the same way Jon Stewart does. The guy is truly refreshing. He’s the only one who says what so many of us want to right to their faces

[@kristenalexander3392]

I wish ALL Americans cared about America and Americans well being the same way Jon Stewart does. If everyone felt a sense of responsibility for these problems, we would have more solutions and more agents to effect those solutions to these problems

[@goober312]

Not just what he says, but how he says it. It's so cathartic hearing someone express these things so well because I could never. Just reading about it sometimes makes me so frustrated that I want to scream. Trying to talk to these people who have no interest in talking and are only there to obfuscate, gaslight, and just generally come in bad faith, is so difficult. I don't know how anyone can do it, it makes me want to pull my hair out. I'd be losing my mind listening to her use every weasel word she can think of to avoid admitting that there was some combination of fraud, abuse, and waste. No reasonable person hears about that amount of money going missing and unaccounted for and can come to any other conclusion. Whether or not it was intentional is a different story, but something has gone catastrophically wrong and denying that is insanity.

[@Andy_Babb]

@@kristenalexander3392 touché

[@Andy_Babb]

@@goober312 I hear what you’re saying. I’d never be able to put things into context, or use witty facts or be able to form such an impressive argument. I feel all the things he says but I’m not _quite_ as articulate.

[@jonbarker9183]

About 35:50 ish, it's actually better without sound. The reality that she was not controlling the interview and had never.. satisfying. Thank you Jon Stewart.

[@Timunwin-g9b]

She’s perfect for her job. Meaning they found someone who can talk in circles without answering questions.

[@shroomspls]

I had the pleasure of attending this event in person and it was awesome watching her get so defensive and frustrated at being asked basic common sense questions. I bet she's not used to having people around her that don't simply nod and accept whatever she says.

[@kylebutler682]

Yeah, for real, that makes a lot of sense. Her "scoff" when Jon said he wouldn't mind learning more about the topic is quite revealing. 40:14

[@A-Distant-Star]

I honestly thought this Deputy Secretary did a fairly good job of trying to hold her own against one of the best in the business of "cutting through the bs". No, she wasn't perfect. But overall I thought she did a pretty good job of trying to "thread the needle" when there was no audit of her organization! Just sayin'

[@5324man1]

@@A-Distant-Starbro what? She was completely spewing bs to a person that is cutting through bs. How is that prop worthy?

[@jes9223]

​@@kylebutler682 😊

[@Erik-tu3rw]

@@5324man1she made very good points and shut Jon up a lot. Him wanting different answers is contrary to him wanting to hear reality.

[@whoisthispianist194]

Jon is utterly brilliant. Hill was defensive and unpleasant. I don’t get the sense that she is taking responsibility for any of the problems discussed.

[@disf5178]

Problems? The DOD gets a trillion dollars and doesn't have to account for it. I'd call that a pretty good deal.

[@GreyKnight7777]

@@disf5178 The DOD manages seven trillion dollars in assets. And they're able to account for less than half of that.

[@disf5178]

@@GreyKnight7777 The biggest grift in the history of the world

[@aquari_2344]

Its obvious she is just trying to get through the day and save face so she can have a long career. WHEN are we gonna put someone in a position of power who cares about ANYTHING other than their salary?

[@whoisthispianist194]

@@aquari_2344 I doubt we’ll do that any time soon. People move up to positions of power by showing loyalty to their superiors. Rarely are they elevated on the basis of merit, or because they want to do the right thing.

[@AmberGilbert-n9f]

It’s funny to me that people often cite “less cultural focus on service” (usually a euphemism for “kids these days are lazy and selfish”) as a challenge for recruiting. Maybe it’s actually because youngsters are smarter than their forebears and aren’t willing to be taken advantage of by a system that can’t get its own act together. Can’t figure out IT, can’t make change happen because the people at the grassroots are NOT authorized to make those changes (no matter what the top level leaders tell you), can’t figure out how to support the people they say are their first priority… People don’t want to be lied to, and even less, to be lied to and told they’re appreciated when leaders’ actions prove the opposite.

[@patrickmcpartland1398]

And the country wasn't getting worse and giving us less and less back then. Divorced home, depressed mom, dad who beat me, 5 schools on 3 school districts in 6 years, multiple custody battles in the courts.... guess what anybody did from my community, family, or school to ever help me? Not shit, I'm not going to war for them

[@haidenmorgan]

​@@patrickmcpartland1398 ding ding ding! Bingo!

[@ttacking_you]

​@@patrickmcpartland1398 is that a country song or ?

[@brentvance9090]

Dang, Jon Stewart fundamentally changed my opinion of him. What a great interview and discussion.

[@TennesseeGock]

What was your original opinion of Jon Stewart?

[@BasedOpinionsPodcast]

i disagree with jon on a ton, but his geniune empathy n sense of humor makes him an undeniable American treasure

[@BigD-v4i]

He didn’t change anything. You were misinformed

[@dinopedersen]

This is the first I’ve seen from the war horse. I am however from Denmark, so I guess I should congratulate you on going global! Your aspiration to pursue justice and truth is truly wonderful, we need more people like you! Thank you for everything you’ve done and will hopefully continue to do. Stay safe and vigilant when fighting evil brothers and sisters

[@travisprugh6347]

this is the inaugural. meaning first.

[@alkumhcounseling8634]

I feel like, before turning cameras on, someone on Jon's team should just remind the guest that people have been trying to dodge his questions to his face for 25 years...

[@Dr_Jim57]

He hasn't been interviewing people in power for 25 years, he didn't do the interviews on the Daily Show

[@Lionsin86]

⁠​⁠@@Dr_Jim57this is confusing and well… wrong. He interviewed Bob Dole in 99.

[@JuanMartinez-ik9ee]

Respect to Kathleen Hicks for at least showing up to discuss these topics. I would agree with some of the comments here that her responses were what is typically expected of a Department head to maintain a certain level of political cover for her appointers. I think what frustrates us is what John clearly articulates as the problem for these institutional bodies to acknowledge the elephant in the room of the disfunction and failure to the American public. Sometimes we just want to hear that they are accountable for the failure and can bring some common sense to fixing the big picture. How can we keep increasing military budget by multiple billions but keep failing veterans for fundamental care? I keep wanting to see people like John launch a career in politics to push us in a common sense direction but the path looks bleaker as we go.

[@ronniehobbs6031]

Great video. As a DOD civilian it was great to see the civil-military dialogue happening. This should be the standard. Forget congressional panels. Make them brief their budget to late night talk show hosts. Then America gets to vote like American idol.

[@ronniehobbs6031]

And then let America vote on each of the 12 appropriation bills. We will have this country wrecked in no time

[@chasehughesofficial]

Imagine a world where leaders took responsibility and set an example of accountability. I wonder what that would be like.

[@haidenmorgan]

In this world, they wouldn't be leaders! 😅

[@justjustinin207]

Thank you so much for your work and for helping to make conversations like this possible and available.

[@judithhoward1643]

Jon Stewart was excellent. She tried to "fake" laugh her way as to make it seem he didn't know what he was talking about. And it was extremely obvious that he was clearly way above her pay grade. She kept trying to be condescending towards Jon and he kept tearing her butt up with great research, questions and answers. She was sounding defensive and totally unbelievable.

[@greendholia5206]

Yes, her butt was torn

[@sonnybaker8100]

@28:35 she’s talking about merging health records “within the coming year” and she says “by June.” This was posted in April 2023. It’s now almost December of 2024 when I’m watching this. Can anyone tell me if this has happened yet?

[@aaronschutte7160]

He is so great when it comes to standing up for disadvantaged people.

[@CoolerGuy121]

31:19 for anyone who saw the clip 45:20

[@RyouConcord]

Louis rossmann showing the clip is what got me to watch the whole thing and subscribe so I'm glad he did it

[@BornVillain14]

@@RyouConcord As soon as I watched the clip, I panicked hoping to find the full interview. lol Thankfully this video exists!

[@TheTull4204]

Interesting how C-SPAN clipped the interview.

[@spoonbred]

$850B doesn't afford you the best inventory system in the world? WTF wow

[@stellabailey2449]

Right?!?

[@lunarlightasmr4660]

Nah just predator missiles for civilians and schools in the Middle East

[@senkayd]

There's an inventory system but it takes only 1 Dumb marine to fuck that system up.. I worked in supply and logistics however when I get to a unit and find out that the previous marine that rotated out has been entering data wrongly or better yet not done it at all.. Do you expect me to go back 2 -3 yrs to fix his fuck up whilst making sure I am up to date with my own work and meeting deadlines? You do what you got to do simple and short. This gets worse when the country is at war... Hence it is not that anyone is misappropriating money but rather misallocation and accounting of resources. Don't get me started on how much "new gear" that has never been issued to anyone needs to be "junked" or "demo'd just to make way for newer gear that is not any much better than the one you just junked. If you don't do this your funding goes down.

[@9mmsleepingpill851]

@@senkayd Where was the NCO? Where was the OIC? Perhaps end diversity quota promotions and promote the people that actually excel at the task.

[@KingLouie1129]

​@@senkaydyou're really missing the point and feels like tunnel vision. Corruption is not fixing a problem because certain corporations keep getting paid by the military to sell them similar gear. Who do you think invest in those companies?

[@rylieweaver1516]

It’s not her fault because the problem is way bigger than her, but I wish she would acknowledge the problems instead of trying to defend. We need people who aren’t afraid to ask uncomfortable questions like Jon Stewart

[@robertnicholls9917]

Chomsky's Manufacturing Consent, which applies mostly to media also applies to these departments. They want people who will be ok with corruption and misinformation.

[@sableyez]

She is part of the problem

[@kevinzavala106]

My job in the Marines was separations. I had eyes on every skillbridge package and I know that at my last command no service member was every approved for skillbridge unless they were seasoned and retiring. Skillbridge is most definitely not afforded to all ranks at every level. She knows exactly how much disparity there is when it comes to transition assistance.

[@californiaslastgasp6847]

Contact WarHorse and Jon Stewart.

[@A-Distant-Star]

Thanks for your inside perspective on this tragic situation!!!

[@ray6240]

Exactly that, commands will already have your replacement on deck but will claim they can't afford to lose you for a few weeks before you EAS.

[@chrisf7563]

I've had four E3s approved for Skillbridge within my flight (Air Force) within the last few months. Your perception may be anecdotal to your experience.

[@ray6240]

@@chrisf7563 the second you said airforce 🤣 newsflash my pampered pal, you guys are not the norm for military treatment.

[@lisaleidy344]

Jon is so articulate. I think it’s clear that nothing is going to change under this woman’s leadership.

[@wyattoutlaw2370]

Exactly… she’s done nothing to really change the department for the better. She wants everything to stay exactly the way it is.

[@austinf9238]

She's a lackey. She's not in charge.

[@MR-DESHON-R]

She couldn't just say that it was wrong that this is occuring. 4.7% of what's equal to damn near minimum wage is nothing. Especially with inflation being this high. The fact that she refused to take accountability not even personally but just at a department level is unthinkable and unacceptable. Name a single company or corporation that will give away $850 billion dollars to another company and 60% of that comes up missing with no account as to where it went and that company is perfectly fine with that! Doesn't exist. In the civilian world that's called embezzlement and it's a crime!

[@aquari_2344]

Simply incredible, never heard of war horse but im subbing rn. i literally cant get enough of this, pressure them into explaining their actions!!

[@robk9871]

Jon we love you and appreciate your work.

[@itsbeebaby]

This deserves waaaay more views

[@foolishsamurai]

Possibly the most constructive comment section i have seen in a while, on youtube, on a political topic.

[@BigBellyBrookes]

39:50 For the audit convo you saw in shorts

[@graxx478]

She views this as adversarial and not an opportunity to share what she knows, her concerns, and her hopes for the department, and I think that's pretty wild.

[@jens2old2care]

Wow... he says the whole system is corrupt and has treated servicepeople like shit, and she says he should feel proud? As if that's his point??? That's insane.

[@bobruprecht8621]

So it’s election eve 11/5/24, and am watching this for the first time. Good probing questions raised, and frankly neither Dr Hicks nor any other single spokesperson would be able to answer well for an organization that has grown way beyond accountability, either to its individual service members or to the public that annually grants it massive resources with few strings attached. War Horse deserves immense credit for leveraging the power of investigative journalists, the free press, and outspoken advocates like John Stewart to challenge this bureaucratic leviathan to behave with the honor, integrity, and loyalty it seeks in its own service members. .

[@kamaaina71]

I thank God that we live in a country where a guy Jon Stewart can ask these pointed questions of a person that holds the position in our government that Hicks does. God bless Jon Stewart, he needs to run for public office. Much aloha to Jon!

[@stephenryan1912]

So as someone that think the DoD is wasteful, the shorts show a different situation in this discussion. John did an amazing job putting her on the spot. He nailed this interview and called out corruption. Do I think she was rude. No. I think she handled herself well in an already sided fight.

[@djindustrialcomplex]

Bravo!!! Thanks for this. I hope the Deputy Secretary has a chance to read some of these comments.

[@mbraden66]

Being a vet, I wish I could personally thank Jon for all he has done for veterans. We don't have all that many advocates. While we see defense budgets go up, people are surprised when VA budgets go up, or they ask for more. Politicians who think money should be taken away from the VA, should be drafted. I am 90% disabled. None of my siblings have any of the conditions I have. Did I put asbestos tiles on the floor when my platoon sergeant told me to? Sure as shit did. Did I drink the water out of the faucet that said, "Non-Potable Water" Yup, you do need to keep hydrated. Did the injury in my left foot cause my gait to change causing sciatica in my right leg, yeah. Did I find out I had cancer in March on my kidney? Was it there for 6-7 years, yeah. Do I know how I got it, no. Again, no one in my family ever had kidney issues. Could it have been caused by PFAS, exposure to particulates from the Gulf, other chemicals, etc yeah. But as Jon pointed out, I have to be the one to find the proof, make the link, then get the VA to believe me. It doesn't matter if I tell them my last duty station was where we deconstructed equipment and rebuilt it, refurbished it if you will. This equipment came to us from the Gulf (first Gulf War) on pallets covered in whatever landed on them in the desert. No one knew in 1991 there was anything on them. I sure as hell now can't prove there was. The site I worked at is gone. I will also say, I do agree with Jon on the audit. I was in the Army and we had audits, I worked for an international manufacturer and we had audits, not just financial, but process, inventory, etc. I work in IT and have for a long time. What I see in gov IT is people at higher levels will make mistakes and rather than do the right thing, they will throw money at it to hide and slowly fix it. We had an IT supervisor who didn't want to change his 4 digit dial phone number. That one change, cost our agency $5m if not more over a number of years. He ended up getting an award for keeping us going when COVID hit, but had he done it right, the way the project plan stated it should have been done, it would have automatically worked. Instead, we had a couple of days of lag, he threw money at it, and the problem was covered up. As for PACT Act, June-Aug I spent many hours trying to educate people about the PACT Act. I was telling every single vet I walked into, talked to on the phone, get your intent to file in place, put your claim in, etc. Many of them would tell me, "Nah, I'm ok." I would tell them, "Yeah, I was too, until I learned in March I had cancer for 6-7 years" a number of my friends were "ok" until the brain cancer killed them. I even ran into veterans who worked for the VA who didn't understand how the PACT Act worked. I made the below, sorry it's a Discord link, easiest way for me to share a picture. I wanted a way to share information with people. Upper right brings up 988 and 1 so it will call the suicide hotline and press one to get you to veterans specialist. The middle left takes you to the homeless veterans webpage. The bottom right is for the Pact Act webpage. cdn.discordapp.com/attachments/180831715894231040/1137130747325591602/image.png

[@masternoob9673]

Jon Stewart is prime living example of how humanity Would be today if we had actually evolved well enough emotionally alongside our intelligence.

[@AndyDutta]

Jon Stewart at his sublime best. This one is to save for the future classes of journalism.

[@benj516]

This is journalism: ask the tough questions, bring the facts, and don't let them bs their way out of answering.

[@kiarashertebati5842]

Fantastic, Jon you are The Best How can you have só much patience and self control to talk to this lobsided person

[@limpneckmike]

This dude needs to run for president

[@erin4885]

He's too honest to succeed

[@yilo9990]

Nope. He's wishy washy. Can't trust him no mo.

[@blindrider20]

Thansk for the full interview

[@whitenoise990]

I legitimately don’t care what sort of care a veteran is asking for, the answer should always be “yes” and the funding should always be approved. That they have to wait or get told “no” about anything is unacceptable.

[@AxelFoleyDetroitLions]

Jon is brilliant. Most my Life we’ve been in the Middle East. I had friends recruited at Lunch in High School 2001. Before My friends Scaling on rooftops and Riding Horse Back in the desert…..I still remember Desert Storm Collection milk-boxes

[@reskor1]

Great job! We need more of this! Keep up the good work!

[@Jjj-ts2be]

Where can I regularly watch Jon Stewart now?

[@jamiesuzanne5781]

I used to absolutely love Jon Stewart. He has lost me in recent years.. though, that being said, he did an amazing job in this interview, and I truly appreciate his line of questioning.

[@aamantium1]

I've been in the same boat. I loved it when he called out Bill O'Reilly on his own show. Such a wow moment and he seemed to, not fall in with the left or the right, but somewhere in the middle, bringing social/governmental issues to light for EVERYONE. Lately, its been seeming more and more like he "picked a team", but his presence in this symposium feels considerably more in favor of the needs of those who need representation as opposed to those with specific agendas.

[@dinopedersen]

It hasn’t been that long since he switched back to not buying into the bs shown in main stream media. Happy to see him these days, shows he cares and still has some pull

[@aamantium1]

@@dinopedersen I'm seeing that now. Kinda excited to see where the future takes him.

[@5324man1]

@@aamantium1this is a specific agenda though lmao, this is specifically for veterans & trying to hold the DoD accountable ? So just say you don’t like some of the topics he advocates for.

[@aamantium1]

@@5324man1 if I had to cross a creek full of protruding rocks, there might be multiple different steps that I could take to get across, but in the end, my agenda would be to use each step to get across the creek, while remaining dry. You may not like the steps that I had taken and you may even call me out on it, but that doesn't mean that you disagree with the agenda as a whole. ----This is the sort of big picture that I'm referring to, not the small picture, individual steps, but the steps at a collective whole.

[@sawwallace]

Not sure how I missed this a year ago. I’ve seen clips airing now on X but this was a solid job by JStewart and I appreciate the lady being there to handle the heat

[@joshuanida5457]

"Because guess who funds the VSOs... Defense contractors... So, for a million dollars, they get out of paying a billion." That hit hard...

[@edawgrules]

Jon: "There's a problem at DOD." Hicks: "There's no problem at DOD." Jon: "You've been trying to get your electronic records system to work with the VA for 20 years." Hicks: "And we're almost there..."

[@parker469a]

Hick: Just another 20 years don't worry about it.

[@GroundShare]

Love Jon, Ukraine elected a comedian, why can't we

[@Wtiberon]

Being a whiny disingenuous "journalist" and being President of the United States is two different things.

[@TTV5]

@@Wtiberon Being a game show host or B-movie actor are also different from being US President, but that didn't stop the US in the past.

[@Wtiberon]

@@TTV5 So you think Donald Trump's game show host experience made him a good president?

[@TTV5]

@@Wtiberon No, the question was "why can't we", not "why shouldn't we".

[@Wtiberon]

@@TTV5 A dumbass distinction without a difference.

[@jordanmoir4018]

It's criminal this only has 28k views.

[@FellVoice]

Jon Stewart for President!

[@Wickwok]

Anyone who’s served knows how inefficient, corrupted and backward the US armed forces are. Everything is a process, so many policies that are counter Intuitive, Ineffective, unsafe, and inefficient. There is no way to change it either. It’s so screwed up and so entrenched. And those at the top, as patriotic as they may be, as well meaning as they may be, are blind to the issues on the ground. They’re soley big picture. What’s the goal? Can we accomplish it? If yes, then no questions are asked, no audit of how we got there, no finding a better way.

[@electrogloria]

Condescending responses are designed to shut down a question, not answer it. Props to JS for pointing out how her defensiveness is just avoidance of the question.

[@djchuckone1]

Thank you John Stewart

[@chadreynolds9698]

Auditing... An E4 pays for a jacket lost in high tempo training, but leaders leave billions worth equipment in Iraq for ISIS and billions for the Taliban with no accountability.

[@kps4496]

“Pentagon” was trending in X today bc it failed yet another audit. Clips of the budget audit discussion here are being widely shared. This DepSecDef’s tone, and how defensive she got is a great example of what MUST be fixed and no longer tolerated. 👏 Jon for exposing this official and shining light on the bigger problem at DoD (it exists across the Federal government). Perhaps something good will come from the new Administration making government efficiency a priority - along with accountability.

[@donaldshults8957]

How the hell is this not the basic standard of journalism

[@jml3327]

Its absolutely stunning! STUNNING! That this video has barely over 100k views! Just goes to show how censored our feeds are. Total shame.

[@---tx9xx]

Every American should see this

[@parker469a]

I mean Elon is the first thing on Twitter that comes up and everybody else just's wants to show you what you want to hear so you'll watch it. After watching this I'll have to go recharge on something enjoyable and since most people are miserable the few minutes they get to sit down tend to keep people only wanna to watch something fun for the little time they get to cheer themselves up before going back to work.

[@kennethguitarfiend4493]

Thank god for JON STEWART!!!!!!

[@cjwiemer7453]

Do you think she realizes how bad she comes off here ? The condescension and pompousness in her voice is appalling for someone who’s in charge of that important of a position. 95% of ppl watch this video because of John and we all know he’s one of the smartest people when it comes to stuff like this and always makes sure he understands how things work. She acts like that ? And then wonders why there is such low confidence in our government… unbelievable

[@svsolace]

There's no sense of humility. It's just deflect, deflect, deflect. Or just make a joke out of everything when you don't have substantiative reasoning. People in these positions refuse to consider that they can be wrong.

[@nathanbrady8529]

My favorite was "we didn't have DoD until 1947." I guess the War Department was just a hallucination for 160-some years.

[@jdj830]

What’s depressing is that, within her bubble, the people that matter to her career, she did great. They’ll all high-five and congratulate each other on how well they owned the ignorant comedian who dared question their god-given right to be completely unaccountable for their handling of virtually unlimited taxpayer dollars. They don’t care how they come off to the unwashed masses who just don’t get it. She will get rewarded for this performance and will be completely shielded from any negative things any of us have to say. Sigh.

[@yeahokay1051]

The anecdotal tale at the end with jon Stewart, man, nail on the head.

[@madisonrivera2764]

And a year later the health records still haven’t been merged.

[@jovanyd.4880]

10000% on Jon's side, but she held her own.

[@nicholasgarcia1677]

Please get us some more John Stewart reporting! He needs to be in the senate

[@mybrotheristheman]

This needs to be shared.

[@chadreynolds9698]

Served 20 years, last 12 years AGR in NCNG and was not allowed to participate in transition services when I left AGR in NCNG. Filed IG complaint, went no where despite it being required within the last year before transition (John McCain NDAA) to civilian life. Didn't receive skills gap assistance, financial advisement, VA evaluation,....

[@stellabailey2449]

I’m sorry to hear they failed you. I’m sorry you’re not alone in this situation.