Two Billionaires’ Big Plan to Shrink Government

[@timk5867]

The government needs to shrink and the ones that argue against it are profiting the most.

[@GeraldH-ln4dv]

Incorrect. The shrinking of the government won't touch the people who are profiting the most, like Elon. SpaceX has received almost $20 billion in government contracts since 2008, but it isn't even mentioned by Elon as a target. What are among his first targets? People at the EPA who enforced environmental regulations SpaceX was trying to dodge at the south Texas facility. They were the very first people he listed. This all just a smoke screen to fool gullible people into ignoring the real agenda - making Elon richer.

[@imonthebeach3185]

So let’s start by cutting the billions of subsidies to Musk?

[@compedium]

Totally. My grandma who needs medicaid has profited massively!

[@TimLoo-w4u]

​@@compediumhow about getting rid of mat people starting with Donald trump

[@DM-eo6zw]

@@compediumMedicaid isn’t the target. Bloated, useless, government jobs are.

[@ShirleyNelson-hn9pc]

First cut should be salaries of congressmen.

[@aleccraig7283]

Congressmen's wealth do not come from their salaries

[@JNosewicz7569]

They hardy make anything as it is.🙄

[@claireconover]

and senators. if you can see them spinning policy on tv, they should be working for the lowest wage available to the rest of us.

[@dar4835]

​​@aleccraig7283 insider trading... plus, they have medical, dental, all of that for life, and a superb retirement plan to go with that!

[@JaneDoe-tr5xy]

With todays tech we don't need them ~ they are THE BODY of the BEAST is the body of CONgress and their hand picked JuDas$ JuDges$ are the HEAD$

[@rosemariebredahl9519]

Most regulations exist because the "honor system" didn't protect citizens from abuse by a few. In general, laws limit freedoms of masses because violations by the few became unacceptable. Thus, individuals abusing freedoms hurts us all, yet laws are still necessary ... and many cumbersome annoying regulations are too. If the "honor system" always worked, imagine how different our world would be ... but it doesn't always work. ⚖️

[@cvn6555]

True but these departments are not vested with the power to create laws. They have been doing so for decades and that is about to stop. Only Congress can make laws and SCOTUS has made this clear in recent rulings. All of these regulations are about to cease to have any enforcement capability. Narrowing the focus of these agencies will necessitate far fewer employees. Easy to fire people.

[@FlawlessP401]

Maybe we should accept liberty over suffocating "security"

[@kennj321]

@@FlawlessP401 I think more will find unregulated capitalism more suffocating.

[@guru47pi]

@@rosemariebredahl9519 you're right; most regulations also exist because they're good for business. People don't want to buy baby formula that could have lead, melamine, or e. coli.

[@gbaran7991]

Most regulations comes from companies wanting to stifle competition…

[@DXingTraveller]

I'm going to save you 30 minutes of your time. 15:30 "The problem you're going to run into is Congress. That's the problem these efforts always run into. The reason the government spends money on these things is the government told them to. So now to cut them, you need Congress to undo that effort". Bingo. The rest of this podcast was fluffing up Elon and Vivek about what they can do. They are literally just a advisors. They have *no* authority to do anything. They can have the biggest, best plan in the world but without Congress it's not worth the paper it's written on.

[@BwareOfMommaBear]

Thank you !

[@nate665]

The executive branch can just, not spend the money allocated to an agency.

[@DXingTraveller]

@@nate665 That's not true if we're following the Constitution. The Constitution gave Congress the power of the purse, and that power precludes the President from unilaterally deciding not to spend money that Congress has provided.

[@jacksonletts3724]

Kind of. It’s unclear whether congress can force a president to spend money, and there is precedent that they can’t force a president to enforce certain laws. Congress has a law on the books that tries to force the president to spend the allocated money, but it’s never been tested at the Supreme Court. Edit: it’s important to note that the speaker is right in the video that the federal government can’t just reinterpret the regulations out of existence, since that would fall under the removal of chevron. It’s just that the discretion to prosecute falls under the executive branch. So for the duration of the Trump term they could choose not to enforce the regulations or maybe not spend money on these programs (the money is untested).

[@DXingTraveller]

@@jacksonletts3724 It'll be interesting to see it played out in the courts. Nixon tried to regularly impound funds, federal/state/local entities sued and regularly won. We'll see if the same happens now.

[@davidclemens1843]

Rather than eliminating entire agencies, wouldn't it be wiser to downsize them? For example: Why does the FBI need 7000 people "working" at FBI headquarters in Washington D.C.? If those people were actually "working," 1000 should be more than plenty !!!

[@AncientEgyptArchitecture]

Probably more like 250.

[@birdstrikes]

How do you know how many employees any agency or company needs? you a business man? no.

[@mprice8851]

When billionaires say they want to shrink government, what they’re really saying is that they want less government regulation on their own businesses. This does not help average people in any way.

[@katediehl4836]

YES

[@cvn6555]

Less regulations means lower costs. To all of us. This isn't difficult.

[@mprice8851]

No. It leads to a concentration of a few large corporations that lead to monopolistic pricing.

[@gigid9606]

you are wrong. I work for the government, and there is A HELL OF ALOT OF WASTE going on. I think ANYTHING that could get us out of the deficit, and help the economy run more efficiently (even it still wont but it will be better) will be helpful. We are the only country that acts like this, wastes as much as our country, etc. Its bullshit.

[@AminjemalSelamo]

😊❤

[@lettucesalad3560]

Presidents shouldn't be allowed to spend more than $200/year of taxpayer money going golfing. $40 million/year is way too much.

[@davidtesler1198]

Mr, Ears or as some call him Mr, Obungho spent money to and as far as I am concerned all presidents have a right to relax, but most people have sfb so they do not understand it

[@lettucesalad3560]

@@davidtesler1198 The orange bully Geesus in 2015 said "Obama golfs too much, the President should be working and not have time to golf".. than as President the Orange Bully Geesus went on to golf 2x more than Obama.. and grifting by going to his own golf clubs and billing the US taxpayer.... So it's 1000x worse than obama.

[@WillieLee-xf6xd]

@lettucesalad3560 DJT donated all of his Presidential salary, mostly to Veteran organizations. Look at net worth before and after office...he is only one who left w/ less.

[@lettucesalad3560]

@@WillieLee-xf6xd Hi Willie.. Just so you know.. DJT only SAID he would donate his salary, he never released his taxes from 2017-2023 yet, so there's no proof. Plus the Presidential salary is $400,000/year. Which is more.. $1.6 million or $140 million? Can you tell which one is more?

[@Private-wj4nd]

@@lettucesalad3560ABC is but one organization that verified that he did indeed donate his salary. You can search for it online. It pops up easily.

[@montrose252]

“Fascism should more properly be called corporatism because it is the merger of state and corporate power.” - Benito Mussolini

[@tyronewashington230]

Or you just call fascism monoply because the underling problem. Teachers union..monoply. Public school system...monoply. Big pharma...monoply. DNC state corporatism since 1932.💙

[@vinista256]

@@tyronewashington230 ​​⁠ OK, let’s take these one by one …: 1. There are TWO nationally recognized teacher’s unions, the National Education Association and the American Federation of Teachers, and if a person wants teaching, it’s perfectly possible to hire someone who doesn’t belong to either of them. Not a monopoly by ANY definition you can think of. 2. There is no company called “Big Pharma” that has monopoly power. Pfizer, Johnson & Johnson, AbbVie, Merck & Co., Roche, Sanofi, AstraZeneca, Novartis, Bristol Meyers Squibb, and Glaxo Smith Kline are the biggest, and there are many more. Some hold patents, which is their right after sinking money into R&D, but even that benefit ultimately expires, and afterward, generic producers are free to compete for market share with reformulated versions. Again, not a “monopoly” by any definition. 3. 🤔 … not even sure what you’re TRYING to express here. Democrats did not re-take the White House until FDR was inaugurated in March 1933. Once he took office, he and the predominantly Democratic Congress enacted measures aimed at CURBING corporate power. “Corporatism” did not become associated with the Democrats until the neoliberal era, and that was after they had been out of power for 12 years and the GOP under Reagan and the first Bush had established a new norm of depending on big-money corporate donations to market their candidates. In the words of the immortal Sam Cooke, I get the feeling that you “don’t know much about history 🎶 ….”

[@carlosSillas14]

Fascism started to counter bolshevism.

[@leliwaleliwa3829]

Democratic montrose

[@SlickSimulacrum]

Maybe you should read more about what fascism is Cupcake.

[@andrewtheworldcitizen]

There's a reason why the extremely wealthy merchants and plantation owners and slave owners wanted the king beheaded..... They didn't want anyone who could stop them from doing what they wanted to do and they wanted to be kings their selves.....

[@pipdippitydoooo]

This basically gives the wealthiest individual (Musk) who obviously has means but also has the brain/ thinking ability untethered power to launch anything anywhere anytime, and if he is bound, well he'll be in the ideal position to remove the red tape regulations.

[@stoneneils]

@@pipdippitydoooo Why are Americans so cultish? Muthk Muthk Muthk Muthk...what has the guy done to tickle your balls so much? Has he donated one penny? Has he launched one business? No, he's acquired and destroyed. An investor..man are you people fked when it comes to heros.

[@GershamCharles]

Sometimes I wish I had the power to move all these people who complain about government to a universe where they got their wish. Where Trump and Elon could do whatever he wanted without safe guards with no Dems to blame as to why he didn’t get or do something he wanted. I’d venture to say many of them would not like it.

[@brettls2]

I wish we could move people like you to full democrat control and people like me to full MAGA control and see who's doing better in 5 years. Big daddy government is not your friend, you're stuck on the modern day slave plantation and can't even see it. We have the most corrupt government this nation has ever seen and thank God blind people like you are in the minority and we are taking our country back!

[@makebreakrepeat]

Maybe we can save some money in our space program contacts

[@cornellhoward3757]

They won't decrease that massive tax cut being planned for billionaires and millionaires..

[@jamessampson7898]

Why don't you worry about the child trafficking and human trafficking before money

[@jordandthornburg]

Tax cuts often lead to more revenue so who cares so long as it is for everyone and not only for them?

[@RussellChinn-pt6xs]

Negotiate Medicare drug prices, private government contractors...

[@JaneDoe-tr5xy]

w/GUBBERment$$$$$$$$ regulation$ and. PAYper work, they can more $ and we need to bring back the laws to prevent monopoLIE$ such as GUBBERment$ are the BEAST of BURdeN and IT$ body is the body of CONgress and their hand picked JuDas$ JuDges$ are it$ HEAD$ ~ no more GUBBERment CONtract$ as we the people can vote on how our $ is spent for public services and we can hold our vendor$ accountable .... Government is not the entity to provide services as it's only JOB is to PROTECT our borders and streets and the CHURCHES job is to provide for the poor... the poor who are ABEL to work should not be getting taxpayer $ as feel entitled to get it... free medical for VETS and job training no more disability checks for a % of disability .... Look at ADAM THE MAN on social media a VET who gets disability AND $ from his videos as one example ... if you can work, you're not disabled .... no more cap$ on FICA ~. a fair tax for all income producers ... some disabled can work part time and should and that income should be considered for their disability income. JOB training for all getting disability beneficiaries as humans need to be productive .... no more sitting home eating chips and drinking soda and watching TV day in/out whilst collecting GUBBERment benefits$. .... only the # of children you can provide for ... no more generational welfare families...... and we need to devote our resources to fix the human broken brain = mental illness .... and cure diseases v BIG pHARMa DRug$ instead

[@Ryanrobi]

Even if you just seized 100% of all the assets of all the billionaires you wouldn't even come close to paying what the deficit is each year and that would be a one-time deal. Just go do the math millionaires and billionaires do not have enough money to cover the debt The people that have all the money are working class normal people that have retirement accounts and have home equity. Democrats think they can have a Denmark style social welfare system with American tax rates on middle class people That's not possible You would need to have Denmark style tax rates which would be double what they are and people making 50 grand a year no one in America will ever be okay paying 25 to 30,000 per year when they make 50,000 a year like they do in Denmark. I work at W-2 job for 6 months a year in those 6 months I make 50,000 and I pay about $8,000 and income tax that's all I would ever want to pay even that's too much for when I get out of the federal government.

[@Bunnylandu]

“The future is going to be amazing”. (Yeah, for US Billionaires )

[@direwolf6234]

popular science mags from the 60s said we'd have more leisure time and flying belts by now ...

[@naomilove5580]

The largest wealth transfer in history was during the designer flu we weren’t allowed to talk about which was enforced by the very same companies who benefited from it. Now that’s facisim

[@lbr88x30]

Yes we need to tax billionaires

[@andrewb.9815]

Fun fact: If you took 100% of all billionaires wealth, it would barely fund the Federal Government for 90 days. Why don't you mull that over in your tiny, little brain.

[@jeffslosson1095]

You mean we must tax them more, i guess. Most of them give a lot of people jobs.

[@davidparnell1893]

What an IDIOT.

[@fergalhennessy775]

We already do

[@Gina-dn6xm]

​@@jeffslosson1095little jobs

[@tcorourke2007]

17:00 "You can't actually cut government spending because, one time, this one guy, tried and failed." Sorry kids, we'll just have to let the national debt grow exponentially. Don't worry, Paul Krugman says it doesn’t matter.

[@TinaSummers-k6g]

Why is Elon still in America and Vivek two criminal's

[@steppingrock]

Criminals? Really?

[@Ellerich800]

30% of the US' annual income must be used to pay the interest on the debt. The reason is the annual interest payment on the US debt is $1.5 trillion and the US' annual revenue from taxes, tariffs, etc is $5 trillion.

[@HerrFrankenstein]

America does not need billionaires. We need government to work with citizens to make things better. We need universal healthcare and education to keep America strong. We need judicial reform, clean air and water. Billionaires? Think about it... One of them has no idea what a truck is.

[@O.Nerys.1971]

Spoken like a true commie. 🤡🌎

[@ricardodsavant2965]

The millionaires and the billionaires !!!!

[@slappy8941]

Yeah okay buddy. 😂😂😂

[@slappy8941]

​@@gardener6904no

[@jaydee2072]

Nope. Pay for your own health dividends instead of forcing others to pay for you. You still can't see why you lost when every cheat was applied and every trick was played. Suck it up, 4 years of Trump will make your wallet fatter and might change your mind. I doubt it though, you're too far gone down the delusion hole of benevolent government.

[@EthanDeanplus]

In addition to taxing billionaires, I'd like them to pay us more.

[@cvn6555]

They already pay far more in taxes than you will make in your lifetime.

[@ponyboy481]

Are you even worth it

[@EthanDeanplus]

@ponyboy481 are they even worth it should be the question? How much of their worth is real vs prospective?

[@EthanDeanplus]

@@cvn6555 probably but how much of their worth is justifiable? CEO pay packages, investments, etc?

[@uberman6023]

Just take ALL of their money. The government would be broke again in two months...or less.

[@saywhatnow57]

I've worked in a small state government related office in an administrative type office. I would imagine the federal government is worse. But wow at how we wasted money and resources. Literally an average of 2-3 people doing the job one person could do. You can always do as much or more with less. Especially when it just brings federal workers up to the same working standards as the rest of us.

[@birdstrikes]

thanks for all the additional facts to help support your claim? Oh you don't have any.

[@aleccraig7283]

Wtf are they talking with this attitude? The government spends more than it earns, we need to cut until that is no longer the case.

[@jadabaudelaire118]

No need to cut. The GDP was 27 trillion last year. We earn FAR more than we spend. The problem is that we allow billionaires and millionaires AND the businesses they own, to pay far less than their share.. While simultaneously bilking the common citizen.

[@davidwestwater2219]

​@jadabaudelaire118 we do not take in more money than we spend

[@aleccraig7283]

@ if the imbalance in the budget continues, the dollar will implode and America and Americanism will be destroyed. We are backing our debt with brute force. If we had a credit score it would say “NUKES”. The only reason other nations tie their ship to ours is because of our perceived military dominance. Unless there is a huge change in how we spend, our interest payments WILL reach a fever pitch and force us to A. Print out way out of debt (death of the dollar) or B. Turn our bluff of dominance into a physical assertion. I don’t want either

[@larrym2434]

@@davidwestwater2219 Not when Trump gives deep tax cuts to billionaires and corporations.

[@SweetDreaming28]

@@aleccraig7283 Because the rip-off artists (aka millionaires and billionaires find way to bilk the system, cheat on taxes, buy politicians to pass rip-off legislation, buy judges to strip our rights and allow huge financial corporations, like religious entities avoid taxes yet get involved in politics. Scammers in charge of the system.

[@mickeywood3012]

I support Brian Kim for the Department of D.O.G.E. After all, all a civilized society needs is an Infrastructure to support a Tax Structure and a Tax Structure to support an Infrastructure, and a C.P.A. to keep our politicians honest, because numbers don't lie, and Brian Kim will provide Americans with the rest of the story.

[@cvn6555]

What makes you think that we have a civilized society? Many people are total animals and far too many are communists that will starve your children to maintain power.

[@claygrier4673]

@2:44 "anyone who stood in line at a DMV". That's such and 20th century concept. I don't know about your state, but in mine the DMV is streamlined. You can renew your license and your registration online. I had to go to the DMV last spring and there were around 3 people waiting and I was served and out of there in 10 minutes.

[@AsifKhan-hf9zy]

not to mention, how is the wait at a DMV going to become shorter if one third of the money in the government is no longer there?

[@thegreyghost5846]

The line is always out the door over here

[@dennisg4053]

@@AsifKhan-hf9zy The Federal Government does NOT have ANYTHING to do with State DMV's. What part of that confused you so much ?

[@AncientEgyptArchitecture]

You're right' you don't know about my state. Dealing with the DMV here is a nightmare, it's like taking a 30 year trip in the wayback machine to the time of long lines, peeved clerks, non-air conditioned offices and endless regulations/strange traffic laws. To this day they are still unable to give you your lic. when you apply, they have to make it somewhere else and mail it to you weeks later.

[@MrEshen25]

Tesla does NOT build cars faster than the other major brands! What is he talking about? And F-150 or a camry rolls off the line every 50 seconds. Tesla has MUCH worse fit and finish to boot. Musk deserves no credit for process improvement.

[@MrRhomas913]

Tesla is the only electric car company that makes money.

[@dennisg4053]

Tesla can form the ENTIRE Chassis pan in just 90 seconds. ON a single machine. Which IF you knew ANYTHING about Manufacturing is a major feat. IN his own factory. While many hundreds of Vendors producing F-150 parts are required to supply sub assemblies and so forth so that Ford can assemble them.

[@ngana8755]

The NY Times is no longer relevant.

[@GeraldH-ln4dv]

Ah, yes. Because you're chosen to get all of your news from the modern equivalents of Pravda.

[@Tynrova]

​@@GeraldH-ln4dv It's just true.

[@chesterfinecat7588]

Why are you here?😂

[@adolfmcduck1265]

What? No more shrimp on treadmills.😥🤣

[@TimRogers-vv9fl]

I am Pro- D.O.G.E.!

[@Ryanrobi]

I used to be a moderate Democrat that really liked the sound of all this reasonable sounding regulation until I started my own business and I highly regulated industry and I realized how idiotic the regulations are and how they don't actually fix anything It just make it easier for the biggest companies to limit their competition. The federal government in particular is vastly too large and it duplicates almost everything that state governments do We do not need an EPA every state has their own environmental laws there's no point duplicating them. I highly doubt they will actually make much progress in efficiency and they definitely won't cut very much money out because almost all the funding is on extremely popular things like social security Medicare Medicaid defense etc. and all of these programs just take money from working class younger people and give it to Richard older people and put the debt to make that happen on younger people and their kids It's the most unfair thing I've ever seen in my life and it was all started by Democrats...

[@birdstrikes]

huh couldn't read. didn't make any sense.

[@backbay2242]

And the NYT will cheer them on.

[@adtastic1533]

I'm 100% behind this idea. Just don't know if these are the right guys to deliver a solid outcome. At the end of the day they need to convince Congress to do their job.

[@cvn6555]

Congress hasn't done this in over a hundred years. Will take actual strength and resolve from people that have no vested interest in enriching themselves or gaining permanent positions in DC. Need outsiders and Trump to make this happen.

[@michaelcomberiate2566]

why not regulate insurance companies and allow medicare to negotiate with Pharmaceutical companies to seriously red

[@michaelcomberiate2566]

reduce prices for drugs

[@seanmcdonough8815]

Musk will cut 2 trillion just as soon as his robo taxis take off, Or his boring gets going, or his semi shows its cheaper than rail, or his roadster is ready, or his cyber truck gets to $36k, or his starship goes to mars last year, or his hyper loop gets going, or his self driving goes legit........... clowns

[@user-ke1km9bt4s]

Less money and power for EVERYBODY ELSE, and more money and power for the two corrupt, bully billionaires.

[@slappy8941]

😂😂😂😂😂😂😭😭😭😭😭😭😭

[@adtastic1533]

LOL! Because paying more taxes for worse Govt and an ever expanding national debt and deficit makes me feel like I've got so much money and power. US Govt is a corrupt transfer of wealth from the public to special interest groups and the only answer is to shrink it because, by its nature, it can't be reformed.

[@Monk-Amani.]

​​@@slappy8941• Think it's humorous? Apparently, you're well off financially. 🙃

[@jaydee2072]

@@Monk-Amani. I think he thinks its hilarious that you clowns attribute altruism to one sect of billionaires and none to another. You can't see the forest for the trees bro. Give up.

[@JaneFleesTexas]

@@slappy8941Unless you’re a billionaire who will benefit from less regulations against harming your workers, I wouldn’t be laughing, Slappy. 🙄

[@direwolf6234]

what is a trillion ? .. 1 million seconds = 11.5 days .. 1 billion sec = 31.5 years .. 1 trillion sec = 31,500 years .. 2 ice ages ago ..

[@piratecody44]

This is GOOD! DOGE will be the best thing for the government!!! Cut MILITARY WASTE!! Cut Subsidies to BIG FARM, BIG PHARMA, BIG OIL!!!! LETS GOOO!!! If they don’t cut these….. don’t they want efficiency??

[@montrose252]

Well said! But they won't touch any of these things...

[@maureenhogan44]

😂😅

[@tyronewashington230]

Ending the wars the Biden Administration started will be the end to a big expense, so less waste. Also, it's status quo thinking to say "cuts" when it's about efficiency changes. Spending less on mailing is "cut", while choosing to email instead is a efficiency change. Public education is top down centralized, and a efficiency change would be making it bottom-up and decentralized.

[@piratecody44]

@ some good points made here 👆

[@JaneDoe-tr5xy]

cut BIG GUBBERment that takes 30 to 50% of our labor and THIS BEAST out of our economy!!! anything GUBBERment is in charge of cost$ more for less quality!!! and GUBBERment oversees Itself and why it's so incompetent and corrupt!!! growing BIGGER and more tyrannical stealing our rights, wealth and healthcare ... so IT DeCides$ who get$ and who doesn't and we the people of the middle classes get SHAT ON paying for the above and below us

[@rudyb1652]

You never left the firmament. Tax the wealthy 😎

[@cvn6555]

The wealthy already pay most of the taxes. Top 1% pays 21% of the taxes. Top 5% pays 41%. Top 10% pays 70%. Bottom 50% pays about 3.4% If the wealthy actually paid their fair share, the govt would be broke tomorrow.

[@LargeLife5]

You can do it 💪

[@LargeLife5]

😅yeees

[@Foxie635]

They don’t work for government but one benefits via contracts.

[@americanexpat8792]

The idea that they will cut out $2 trillion is laughable. About every 20 years, we go through something along these lines. Like past efforts, it is destined to fail. Eventually, they will get frustrated and the whole thing will just wither away, like it always has in the past.

[@AncientEgyptArchitecture]

Exactly. Just reference the comment by @DXingTraveller. Congress's efforts over the years have brought us to where we are. Only Congress can undo it all and restore sanity, and they will not.

[@adtastic1533]

If they cut out 10% it's still a win.

[@user-rr9lv9ll4x]

It's WHAT is going to be cut . It seems to me...THAT is the problem. It also seems to me ..They do not want to cut WHERE the waste actually is located..

[@GetonthebusGus126]

Will leon ask dump why is he charging secret service $750 a day to stay in one of his dumps.

[@GeraldH-ln4dv]

He dropped the price? During his first abomination of a presidency, he was charging $1100 per night per room at Mar-A-Lago for a Secret Service detail of over 30 agents, plus $2500 a weekend just for the golf carts they needed to follow him around the golf course on one of his 435 days at Mar-A-Lago out of just 1459 in office.

[@Tynrova]

So clever... not. 😂

[@chesterfinecat7588]

Efficient transfer of tax dollars to Trump so not on their hit list.

[@GeraldH-ln4dv]

It's more than that. During his first term he was charging $1100 per night per room. His Secret Service travel detail is over 30 agents, so unless they were sleeping more than 2 to a room, it was at least $16,500 per night. And he spent 400+ nights at Mar-A-Lago out of just 1461 days in office. He also charged $2500 a weekend for the golf carts they needed to follow his butt around the golf course. This was all after he promised to only charge "cost". He man is a blatant grifter.

[@cybele_m]

Of course not, lol 😂

[@Foxie635]

Threat to their wallets. 😂😂😂😂No, not the sheep, the two billionaires and their friends.

[@TB2G]

Any discussion on the budget should include raising revenue. This episode would have been a good part one, with a follow up on the IRS, raising taxes, and closing loopholes.

[@direwolf6234]

yes the reason we can't afford good things is the evasion of legit taxes and the cottage industry that supports that ...

[@cvn6555]

Straight to hell with you. We haven't ever had a revenue problem. We have a severe spending problem. A monumental spending problem. I do not want to pay any more in taxes than I already do. You seem like the type to call for higher taxes on everyone making a dollar more a year than you but are not willing to do so yourself. Who do you think should be paying more, anyway? The top earners? They already pay most of the collected taxes as it is while the people i the middle and bottom pay very little.

[@cvn6555]

@@direwolf6234 Congress writes those tax laws. Smart people use those laws to reduce their taxes. Do you pay more than you owe?

[@jordandthornburg]

Or lower taxes and get more economic activity and so more revenue. The government doesn’t deserve more of our incomes. If they want it, they need to start earning it.

[@AncientEgyptArchitecture]

To this day I still fail to understand why a specific percentage of one's income cannot be determined through statistical research as a fair tax rate, and then imposed on all citizens over the age of 18, regardless of their responsibilities, dependents, investments, property, wealth or lack of it, with no exemptions, loopholes, excuses, exceptions or " yeah but's ". Try to imagine how much that would simplify the tax code / streamline the IRS. For state taxes, same system, different rate. But I am confident there is a commenter out there eager to school me.

[@jw8456]

I found the host close minded with some childish responses

[@AncientEgyptArchitecture]

That's because the host is a liberal woke snowflake. Go figure!

[@curtissmith3194]

I’ve got an idea. Let’s put a fox in the hen house to help the hens stay safe

[@chesterfinecat7588]

Nobody knows how to cut hen house expenses than a fox. Zero is easily achievable.

[@AlbertFrederickLarun]

What could possibly go wrong?

[@AncientEgyptArchitecture]

I see so many commenters here claiming the social security is part of the problem and needs to be trimmed/eliminated...apparently we have forgotten that in the beginning, SS was designed to be a way for the employed to put aside a portion of their wages that the government would then put into insurance programs, which in turn would invest the money and the dividends would provide the funding to support retirees. Unfortunately, the program has been a victim of mismanagement/bungling over the decades, the insurance funds management has also been disappointingly inept, and then eventually the congress became fond of raiding the SS fund for money to support bills/programs, resulting in looming insolvency by 2033, when it will become broke. The situation has essentially been created by congress. What is needed is a fresh start, where the program can be run in the manner originally intended, with savvy money managers in charge and immunity from congressional meddling, not trimming or eliminating the program.

[@adtastic1533]

SS is a ponzi scheme at this point. A ponzi scheme that won't be around when you and I retire the way it's going.

[@williamfrost9910]

Third world countries have small governments.

[@adtastic1533]

No they don't. They have socialist Govts. That's why they're 3rd world.

[@SuperHAMILTON91]

They have to real power to do anything be talk.

[@Tom-dt4ic]

The government needs to shrink billionaires, not the othe way around.

[@JaneDoe-tr5xy]

GUBBERment officials who got rich from being public servant$ are corrupt to the bone!!!! who abUSE their AUTHORity for their own self serving interests$ whilst they work to steal our rights, wealth and health care so they can DeCide who get$ and who doesn't!!! ONE HEALTHCARE SYSTEM for ALL ~ no different plans as the little people are the ones getting screwed over and over and over again! Social Security Retirees who are disabled and/or too old to work get a 2.5% increase w/o consideration of the double to triple inflation rates on our essentials to survive!!!

[@MrRhomas913]

The ending of the Chevron deference put more responsibility for regulations in the hands of the Legislature rather than the Executive (i.e. the specific administrative agency). The courts will review if the legislation passed gives sufficient authority to the administrative agency to implement the regulation at hand.

[@kennj321]

In the chevron ruling the courts used an example where they confused nitrous and nitrogen oxide. courts will never be able to handle the complexity of technical regulation.

[@MrRhomas913]

​@@kennj321 It is a fine line between giving an administrative agency blanket authority (which violates the separation of powers); and micro managing their ability to implement regulations (which would impact their ability to regulate). (NOTE: I added "ending of" to my above comment)

[@svc6550]

There’s a huge recall rate on his cyber truck though, he sacrificed quality and quality control at the expense of his so-called efficiency

[@saywhatnow57]

Musk is literally the only car CEO of the last 50-80 years who managed to grow a substantial car company, something that when I was in business grad school was assumed impossible. We were actually taught that no one would ever compete with the U.S. big 3 or the 3 luxury car manufacturers, or the 3 asian car companies. And yet we have Teslas all over the place. It was never supposed to even happen.

[@ml-jt6eg]

Anybody that has ever worked in the government knows its spending is out of control and wasteful. If every October your told to spend the remainder of your budget or lose it for next year then it’s a waste.

[@chuckchambers9565]

Two independent successful business men plan to shrink bloated wasteful unionized government slackers. There, fixed it.

[@natepinson]

They're successful, but not independent: look at Space X's contracts, or the subsidies Elon got for Tesla. I'd have to look into Vivek, but I'd wager he didn't start from nothing with zero assistance or loans. If you want to see bloated, look at the profits Musk made on his crypto investments and the companies he owns in the month before and after the election. A lot of waste exists, but you have to be very specific, because I personally don't like lead in my drinking water, and I do want the food I buy inspected. I don't know what you do, but if you like overtime pay, 8 hour workdays, and having weekends, health plans, pensions, and paid leave, thank unions - look at the gilded age (1880-1920, roughly) to see what work was like before that. Try being an air traffic controller before you call them all slackers. 'Nuff said. .

[@JaneDoe-tr5xy]

Trump ELON and Vivek are 3 VIP at the last supper for JuDas$ JuDges$ ELON is the 11th Judge in the book of Judges that comes in the 11th hour to save our 1st AMENdment as w/o a voice at the last supper, they don't know nor can they care about us as "they don't know what they do to us" with their LAW$ are stones piled on top of the 1st FOOT PRINT for any System to be just and fair for ALL AMerican born and raised by LADY Liberty!!! is the 4th is anDRew/a new DR who is not a JD MD PHD but is a self L-earner is DEBORAH the only WOmaN Judge in the book of Judges then as now.... DEBORAH = 53/35 is JFK#$ who was a 'somebody' RICH & FAMOUS whilst she is a 'nobody' who is POOR and unKNOWN BY HIM in spirit ~ JFK's body was buried under THE """"" ETERNAL""""" BLUE flame of """" FIRE """" #8 on either side is the infiniTY symbol ~ it is FinISHed ~ FISH is the symbol of CHRISTianity ..... JFK was the KING of cameLOT ~ LOT = 47 = JOHN the BApTist born and raised CATholic ~ #6 at the last supper wears a UNIform and HIS colors are BLUE and "green" is the color of $ and $ is power .... and JuDas$ is his BROTHER. HOOD of for and by the bar CLUB$ of GOliaTH liaR$ are lawYER poliTICians$ ........ geneSIS/SISera of KING$ tells us that 6 males and 6 females went into the dARK as 6 pairs = 666 and 1 of 1 of 6 pairs turned on the LIGHT ~ turned over their TABles$ from 666 to 999 ~ 3 69's is YingYang ~ 69 put together is 8 ~ 6+9 = 15 = #6 at the last supper is the only one who wears a BLUE UNIform ~ NAVY ... JOHN KEnnedY from BLUE to RED blood of sacrifice by his own fAMily of TrEE$ as he betrayed the BLUE bloods of ROYal$ ~ roy means RED KING$ ~ 1 is heARTs and the other is DIamonD in the rough ~ LADY DI ANA was sacrificed ~ "make it look like an accident" as charLIE and his 2nd wife camILLa couldn't marry and become KING & QUEEN of the UNITED KINGdom and EMPEROR who has no clothes and wears prop$ that he wears and looks like a CLOWN ... why do you think Queen Elizabeth didn't turn over the KING$ thrONE to HIM ? her 1st born Son of 3 is CAIN who kILLed his ABEL brotHER Diana is abUSEd as his breeder!!! he couldn't chance having children with his 2nd cousin of a blood line infected by inbreeding ..... and why JacOB ~JOB After Christ the father is dead & broke so he has to get a JOB ... as the GREEN leaves have no fruit for HIM to crEATe as it takes $ to make $ in MAN$ worLd of pyRAMid System$

[@joanneel9708]

I TRUST President Trump, Elon, and All President Trump’s Choices 🙏❤️🙏

[@gnomiefirst9201]

Two camps: one believes the billionaires built their own wealth while benevolently giving ppl jobs, so they don't have to pay taxes. The other believes the billionaires built wealth off of the backs of labor and government infrastructure, so they should pay taxes.

[@curtissmith3194]

When you have a pet tiger it’s pretty until it eats your face

[@don611]

Bahahaha that is very funny and deep at the same time

[@AsifKhan-hf9zy]

if you keep firing your pet tigers every six months, you do not need to worry about your face being eaten.

[@victoriagrove5344]

Get the government out of our bedrooms and our doctors’ offices!

[@mikeoveli1028]

What is the big deal? Two billionaires that have government contacts. They will take all of the contracts and put the money in their pocket. Oh sorry, i couldn't cut the budget.

[@chuckchambers9565]

" I've been in government 55 years, I know how to fix it " - Joe Biden

[@zaffo757]

That’s just a dumb take.

[@dennisg4053]

What planet are you on? Here on Earth the Biden Inc Fascist Regime is being evicted.

[@JaneDoe-tr5xy]

They don't need GUBBERment CONtract$ to be billionaires duh

[@mikeoveli1028]

@JaneDoe-tr5xy It helps them steal .

[@truebluebeth6446]

Here for it 🎉

[@rosemariebredahl9519]

Remember the reaction when Clinton made Congress balance the budget, and he was charging Corporations & the top 1% more in taxes (so cuts needed to balance the budget were less)?

[@dennisg4053]

It was Newt Gingrich that forced Clinton to get onboard with working with a Republican Congress to Balance the Budget. The two worked VERY well together! The Clinton Welfare Reforms that were so successful... Were later ENTIRELY undone by Obama ! - Dooh !

[@lbr88x30]

If you have long lines at the DMV; MORE staff to help those waiting decreases the line. The more jobs you cut, the longer the line......

[@ricardodsavant2965]

The Feds don't run the DMV.

[@danielkrall6501]

In Louisiana we have ABC Title, which is a private company that has full access to the DMV systems. You're in-and-out with a license renewal or registration in less than 20 minutes. Sometimes privatization works for the consumer/user benefit.

[@Joe-sg9ll]

that's exactly the mindset that prevents you from enacting change

[@tyronewashington230]

The reply's so far get it. If you're thinking efficiency is a "budget cut" your not even in the right ball park to solve the problem. Efficiency is by rethinking and redesigning to fit the realities of today's technological landscape, not just patch them up with quick budget fixes. Also, it's iteration and many peoples ideas, not one.

[@cvn6555]

That's a state issue, not Federal. And, really, you want to cite what is generally the slowest, most disinterested, rudest customer experience possible as the poster child for hiring more govt workers? They don't need more people, they need to fire them all and replace them with people that will hustle and treat people with respect.

[@gregkeras]

Hi. Again, here is this trope of "paying interest on the national debt." Does the guest mean interest paid by the federal government on federal bonds? Like interest paid to bond-holders, wealthy and not, foreign and domestic? This idea just gets glossed over all the time and should be clarified instead of being left almost intentionally vague.

[@jim2376]

". . . a government of the billionaires, by the billionaires, for the billionaires . . . ."

[@IronBand4]

9:53 Enough foreplay!! I can't possibly love this plan any MORE!

[@r8chlletters]

People are not machines. We should moving away from efficiency for human pursuits and activities as machines can do these things for us. Efficiency is not an ideal worth aspiring to, in fact it is a singular exploitative goal that creates great suffering. Should we be thoughtful and judicious in our use of resources? Yes, absolutely. Should we base our nation on capitalistic economic goals straight out of early industrialization? Absolutely not.

[@JaneDoe-tr5xy]

Obviously you have never run a business nor organization ...

[@gbaran7991]

FYI 54% of social security goes to people 18-64. Disability Industrial Complex.

[@andrewb.9815]

Elon is worth $270 billion dollars......all of his worth would barely pay for a fifth of what we spend on Social Security in a single year.....

[@RussellChinn-pt6xs]

Musk's profits from government contracts might be a place to start...

[@carykalscheuer6429]

How about government buy out Elon’s Starlink service and use the enterprise revenue to offset taxes? Starlink can be used by the military and aerospace which helps justify government ownership. Its like a city buying a water utility and operating a municipal utility.

[@mosesmc52]

I assume making the government efficient is what the GAO is supposed to do.... If they recommend to cut , the Republican sacred cow, high costs that contractors charge the Department of Defense for contracting services, then I know they are serious about making government spending efficient.

[@cybele_m]

I wouldn’t hold my breath 😏

[@AncientEgyptArchitecture]

It has been said that entitlement programs are the dangerous third rail of politics, but I disagree; I say it is the intertwining of the military-industrial complex.

[@Eric-wj8tn]

You did this NYT

[@curtissmith3194]

Got to take people’s homes and give tax cuts to the rich

[@cvn6555]

Who is having their houses taken away to give tax cuts to anyone? There is no connection between the two on any level.

[@SlickSimulacrum]

@@cvn6555 , It's a bot... Meant to make a straw man for imbeciles.

[@AlKey3]

The bureaucracy will fight back tooth and nail to ensure its own survival and domination

[@karlbarks2219]

$2 trillion = social security + medicare

[@ctrl-shift-run8681]

Only way they get anywhere close to 2 trillion is if they touch defense, medicare or social security.

[@nate665]

Defense is 100% on the table.

[@blaydCA]

Kiss Medicare and Social Security bye bye!

[@alemswazzu]

The New York slimes. All the the BS that's fit for propaganda.

[@paulbrooks2087]

#EatTheBillionaireClass, and keep the money

[@carolekelley23]

More power to them

[@MrRhomas913]

How much can they do through the budget reconciliation process? Cannot they defund the departments?

[@cvn6555]

That is a process between the House and the Senate.

[@SlickSimulacrum]

Simple. Replace the heads of all government organizations and agencies with loyalists, then dictate commands.... They will then be followed, legal or otherwise. I suppose there really are a whole lot of dumbf*cks who still don't know what Project 2025 has in store...

[@rosegombos2120]

My acquaintances will be terminated from their positions 3 in one family basically all the big ones with big big paychecks say BYE

[@TheHighlanderprime]

What’s annoying here is the normalization and a serious conversation given to Trump’s cockeyed policy/policies.

[@cvn6555]

"normalization"- anything I don't like being discussed on it's merits and not automatically dismissed from the Marxist perspective. You people have to get some new schticks; the old ones simply do not register any more.

[@trails3597]

Defence could use some rejuvenation. Performance contracts instead of cost plus would help. ULA charges $400m to launch while Elon charges $50m.

[@davidparnell1893]

Elon, "Let them eat cake"...try not to lose your head.

[@pnwlady]

Why are you listening to Musks mom instead of him? If they follow up on their plan transparency and open communication are core values their espousing. Policies for the people forum? Why is no one aware of how they’re trying to engage the public for good ideas?

[@freekfaro5606]

In typical American fashion this Doge thing is all bluster and hot air. It's a pity that Americans are not aware of that themselves.

[@slappy8941]

Stay mad 😂😂😂

[@Joe-sg9ll]

only because "union-ists" will block them

[@Monk-Amani.]

​@@slappy8941• Have you read Project 2025? Of course not.

[@JaneFleesTexas]

@@slappy8941 Stay ignorant 🙄

[@Joe-sg9ll]

@gardener6904 utter depIorabIes

[@bullwinkle60]

Talk to people sitting in the waiting rooms of emergency rooms. I bet a lot of those people could identify stupid practices.

[@SlickSimulacrum]

None of the administration that determines how long you wait happens in the waiting room. You are a m*r*n.

[@pipdippitydoooo]

DOGE also means "leader" "duke" and i believe "ruler" in some languages. The Doge's palace in Venice is an amazing place to visit 😊

[@thomastucker6506]

Nice observation. Thereby changing the possibilities ahead. Need more than 4 years for this mess.

[@AncientEgyptArchitecture]

Probably at least 8-10 years by my estimate. Unfortunately I suspect/predict that Elon will only last a couple years in the position at most, and after that...??

[@WonderfulLava-sy9gc]

He wants to put his robots in ours places

[@TeeSpells]

2 immigrants, Americans homegrown can't do anything

[@silviacicardini5259]

Thank you ❤

[@WillieLee-xf6xd]

Elon paid 12 Billion in taxes in 2021. Tesla paid over a Billion. Musk holds the record for highest taxes paid. ❤DOGE❤

[@kimhaas7586]

And?? Even with that, and I’d like to see the returns, it’s not like he will experience even one second of hardship. It’s not about taxes. It’s about control. I didn’t vote for a megalomaniac, immature billionaire to control me and make me suffer.

[@GeraldH-ln4dv]

SpaceX has received almost $20 billion in government contracts since 2008. I'll bet not a dime of that gets cut even if Elon manages to get his way. Elon is the poster child for self-interested hypocrisy.

[@natepinson]

Elon also paid zero dollars in 2018. And, 12 bil is how much of his net worth, again? Plus, cite a source for that. There are lots of ways to do accountimg.

[@WillieLee-xf6xd]

@@natepinson cnbc 12/15/21

[@natepinson]

@@WillieLee-xf6xd OK, thanks! I really do appreciate your good faith effort, and I'll check it out. I have my own theories as to what DOGE is all about, but they may be way off base. In the meantime, you may want to look at a chart showing the value of Elon's favorite crytpocurrency, dogecoin.

[@RicansForTrump]

Less government means less democrats in office. Most of America is ok with that

[@MrVisionneur]

New York Times mainstream media trying to replicate a Joe Rogan type podcast epic fail because the guy seems like he’s the opposition, but the reporter is lying to us all

[@youtubetroll6620]

AMERICA has overruled itself

[@derrickjones6442]

The American people voted for Trump, so whatever happens happens.

[@ehlava]

It's just crazy to me that no one in government or the public seems concerned about government deficit spending and debt. THAT is what this is about, the simple matter of balancing your checkbook... or you end up like Zimbabwe or Argentina. If you look at a yearly government spending chart the spending has increased by more than two trillion very recently, so cutting 2T would only take us back to 2016 spending, or so. Most people dont even know when the government spending was last balanced... that happened when both sides of the aisle worked against each other, and not with each other, tho it appears that way now.

[@jerihurd]

Except that's not REALLY what this is about. It's about cutting government regulations /oversight so companies can do whatever they want, about enriching the already rich.

[@ehlava]

@@jerihurd We dont know that yet. You could be totally right. I think the tell will be the DOD cuts... that 'should' be the deepest cut of all.

[@andreaadams8232]

It’s about making poor people pay the debt while the rich keep their tax cuts.

[@ehlava]

@@andreaadams8232 If the country goes into a currency crisis like Venezuela or Argentina the poor will pay the greatest price of all. We do need to get the deficit and debt under control or the younger people of this country will pay a far greater price later. We will just have to see how it plays out. You could be right, taxes on the poor may rise and taxes on the rich may drop. I hope not. Clinton battling it out with Gingrich was the last balanced budget. It can be done. We should all support any reasonable plan.

[@NeilChapmanNC]

Bait and switch putting Elon in the photo in a way that looks like he's being interviewed.

government workers will be harder to weed than a tick.....they tend to work some of the time but most of them would be fired if they did not work for the government