Waco Ag said:

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Exactly, DOW is actually the Department of Waste.

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Guess you missed all the fraud happening in MN associated with Medicare.

akm91 said:

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AustinAg2K said:

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Considering we aren't at war with anyone, the budget for the Department of War should be basically cut to nothing.

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Guess you didn't learn anything from Clinton's administration.

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And WWI and WWII

Great idea.
Full support from me. Which means nothing in reality. But, I like where your thinking is focused.

PaulsBunions said:

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Late last year the Pentagon failed its 8th consecutive audit

https://breakingdefense.com/2025/12/pentagon-fails-another-audit-restates-2028-goal-to-finally-pass/

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And DOGE has yet to dig into them……

Concerned Moderate Ag said:

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4 said:

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redsquirrelAG said:

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WW3 on deck

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If we are miles ahead of every other country on earth military, they won't make a move.

Which is the point of having the strongest military on earth.

Weakness invites trouble. Strength checks it.

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We already are miles ahead of every country on Earth.

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We already spend more than the next 17 largest militaries in the world.

This is dumb.

I don't like this. While this is actually a constitutional duty unlike all the idiotic social safety net spending we still need to cut spending. We have too many moochers not paying income taxes. Until we fix that stop increasing spending.

The Sun said:

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AtomicActuator said:

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And now we are pivoting attention and resources to a new class of battleships which virtually all naval experts consider a wildly foolish use of money.

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The Navy called it a "battleship" to get Trump's support. In reality it will be the cruiser that the Navy has been trying to procure for the last 50 years.

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Call them cruisers if you want, but the displacement they are looking for is 3-4 times greater than the Ticos they'd be replacing and up to 25% larger than the Kirov class battlecruisers that have been disastrous wastes for Russia.

And the rail gun is likely to be a boondoggle with no practical use in modern over-the-horizon surface combat.

I'm all for a strong defense….but 500 billion MORE? For perspective NASA's entire budget for this year is about 25 billion.

Did he specify anywhere what he actually wants to spend $500 billion next year on for the DoW? Ramping up production of major systems such as the Patriot missiles or F-35's just takes a lot of time. Maybe we could toss a bunch of cash at Anduril to deliver some new toys quickly. Still risky.

Development funding for things like the F-47, F/A-XX or NGAL (C-17/C-5 replacement) could be accelerated, sure, yet that also comes with big risks where prime contractors haven't been chosen even yet (or for that matter topline requirements). Other programs like the MV-75 might make sense to accelerate somewhat but they still need to do a lot of initial operational testing. Hiring soldiers/sailors and training them etc. for more maneuver etc. units takes a long time too.

Hegseth has big plans (which sound good) to overhaul procurement yet those are not really fleshed out yet, and details matter when you're talking about hundreds of billions of dollars going out the door in the space of a year or so.

This just sounds like typical Trump talk, ask for a lot then settle for a figure higher than folks originally thought he'd get. I'd still like to know the actual programmatic priorities the CINC sees a need for urgent added funding for.

He is getting ready for the world wide tour which is going to be the greatest show on earth.

I just know one day he is going to show up on the Whitehouse balcony in full military uniform, medals and all.

In the crosshairs:
Venezuela
Mexico
Cuba
Columbia
Canada

Cleaning up the western hemisphere….Who can really argue with that?

Good! Doge the **** out of the entitlement apparatus and we can easily increase the military budget.

5Amp said:

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He is getting ready for the world wide tour which is going to be the greatest show on earth.

I just know one day he is going to show up on the Whitehouse balcony in full military uniform, medals and all.

In the crosshairs:
Venezuela
Mexico
Cuba
Columbia
Canada

Cleaning up the western hemisphere….Who can really argue with that?

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Those countries need cleaning up. They've been bad actors and clearly won't police themselves.

ts5641 said:

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5Amp said:

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He is getting ready for the world wide tour which is going to be the greatest show on earth.

I just know one day he is going to show up on the Whitehouse balcony in full military uniform, medals and all.

In the crosshairs:
Venezuela
Mexico
Cuba
Columbia
Canada

Cleaning up the western hemisphere….Who can really argue with that?

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Those countries need cleaning up. They've been bad actors and clearly won't police themselves.

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Even Canada? The others all make sense, but Canada? Aside from then not giving themselves to us when we told them we'd like them to, what have they done to us?

FarmerFran said:

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B-1 83 said:

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PaulsBunions said:

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Late last year the Pentagon failed its 8th consecutive audit

https://breakingdefense.com/2025/12/pentagon-fails-another-audit-restates-2028-goal-to-finally-pass/

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And DOGE has yet to dig into them……

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DOGE doesn't exist anymore. It was shut down, and shocker it didn't find / do much of anything of substance other than open up every Americans sensitive personal data to 18 -25 year old kids

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This post is so full of wrong it's amusing.

DOGE is still up and running. Sorry to burst your bubble.

And luckily, the government has a strict hiring practice of only hiring people 26 and up.

AustinAg2K said:

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Considering we aren't at war with anyone, the budget for the Department of War should be basically cut to nothing.

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Probably the dumbest statement I've ever read. Top 5 at the very least.

Canada embarrasses us by their existence.

I'd be willing to bet a good portion of this money is not for weapon systems whatsoever.

The way Trump is steering the DOW (and this is consistent with the 2025 NDS (November 2025) is toward economic statecraft. He views monetary and fiscal policy as a tool of national defense in the same toolbox as the military.

My guess would be much of this money would be earmarked for things like the office of strategic investment, DPA, MCEIP etc.

It's not a stretch to consider the budgeted funds easier to control through the DOW than if those same funds (for the same type of industrial/mineral/manufacturing goals) were funneled through other departments...like commerce, treasury, transportation etc.

True. How much are we giving the Taliban?

FarmerFran said:

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B-1 83 said:

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PaulsBunions said:

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Late last year the Pentagon failed its 8th consecutive audit

https://breakingdefense.com/2025/12/pentagon-fails-another-audit-restates-2028-goal-to-finally-pass/

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And DOGE has yet to dig into them……

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DOGE doesn't exist anymore. It was shut down, and shocker it didn't find / do much of anything of substance other than open up every Americans sensitive personal data to 18 -25 year old kids

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USAID and lots of NGOs would disagree with you, but do go on….

AtomicActuator said:

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The Sun said:

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AtomicActuator said:

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And now we are pivoting attention and resources to a new class of battleships which virtually all naval experts consider a wildly foolish use of money.

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The Navy called it a "battleship" to get Trump's support. In reality it will be the cruiser that the Navy has been trying to procure for the last 50 years.

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Call them cruisers if you want, but the displacement they are looking for is 3-4 times greater than the Ticos they'd be replacing and up to 25% larger than the Kirov class battlecruisers that have been disastrous wastes for Russia.

And the rail gun is likely to be a boondoggle with no practical use in modern over-the-horizon surface combat.

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Well, the Ticonderoga is just a large destroyer hull for starters. Displacement won't be what is currently advertised. The Navy cancelled their rail gun stuff several years ago so that's not happening anyway.

At the end of the day, if the Navy gets to build something in this realm it will be after Trump's term. Most likely it will get cancelled again unless someone like JD is the next president.

If it's true that taking control of Venezuela oil will reduce the flow to China by 60-70%, have to wonder what China would do if they ever got desperate and stated to really feel the crunch.

He can't be too public about it, but we are basically running a Trinity II effort right now in AI, cyber-security, surveillance, drone production, drone defense, hyper-sonic technology and a 200,000,000 unit asymmetrical war/defense future. I agree we need our defense spending to have more oversight to cut out fraud and waste, but there's also a brave new world happening right now behind the scenes. Why not just tell the public about it - people are smart? A person is smart, but people are dumb, panicky dangerous animals and you know it.

So glad my health insurance premiums have gone through the roof so we can send another $500 billion over to the executives at lockheed and boeing.

TxAG#2011 said:

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So glad my health insurance premiums have gone through the roof so we can send another $500 billion over to the executives at lockheed and boeing.

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We shouldn't increase spending on military at this time.

We sure as hell shouldn't be paying and helping with health insurance either. At least defense spending is in the constitution. You need to be responsible for your own health and not depend on daddy government.

TxAG#2011 said:

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So glad my health insurance premiums have gone through the roof so we can send another $500 billion over to the executives at lockheed and boeing.

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Come on now, with that way of thinking you'd think Trump captured Maduro to get a hold of all of Venezuela's oil.

Oh, wait.

TxAG#2011 said:

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So glad my health insurance premiums have gone through the roof so we can send another $500 billion over to the Somail terrorists via fraud in Minnesota

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FIFY

1981 Monte Carlo said:

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If it's true that taking control of Venezuela oil will reduce the flow to China by 60-70%, have to wonder what China would do if they ever got desperate and stated to really feel the crunch.

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FA and FO unless they took the knee, acquiesce to us, and work with us without trying to screw us.

It might not happen soon, but if things go the way they look like, it'll be hard for it to not happen.

akm91 said:

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Waco Ag said:

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Exactly, DOW is actually the Department of Waste.

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Guess you missed all the fraud happening in MN associated with Medicare.

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You don't reward a department that can't pass an audit by giving them more of the tax payers money. They need to be held accountable. As far as the debacle in MN, anyone that participated in fraud should be in prison.

1. Pass an audit, find the lost money, and cut waste.
2. Use what is likely massive found savings from #1 to reallocate and optimize existing spending and priorities.
3. Cut all discretionary spending in the Discretionary bucket of our total annual spending.
4. Reform entitlements by (1) finding and cutting all waste and then (2) make any subsequent changes to laws, rules, and procedures (if needed) that streamline the administration of these programs if not outright killing some of them.
5. Then we look at military budget increases.


As a common sense private citizen, I already know none of the above will happen so this is all wish casting on my part.

Once again the moral hazard rears its ugly head. I'll never understand the blinders conservatives put on for the military. If the govt only wasted 90% of the money it spends, I'd be surprised. At this point, I'm tempted to say screw it and just rubber stamp any and all spending proposals. What we're doing now is like watching a trainwreck in slow motion. Just give them a Quadrillion, or hell why not a quintillion, dollars and let's get it over with.

backintexas2013 said:

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TxAG#2011 said:

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So glad my health insurance premiums have gone through the roof so we can send another $500 billion over to the executives at lockheed and boeing.

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We shouldn't increase spending on military at this time.

We sure as hell shouldn't be paying and helping with health insurance either. At least defense spending is in the constitution. You need to be responsible for your own health and not depend on daddy government.

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Can my tax dollars benefit me at all? For anything? Or is that "socialism"?

Good god dude how about I get something back for the absurd amount I pay. Stop ****ting on people getting benefits.

The thing about Trump is everything is a negotiation and he loves chaos. My guess is this is more about sending Europe, China, and Russia a message that we plan on going from being the big dudes on the block to having the ability to become a true empire anytime we want. He is using the leverage of the Venezuela mission to push on Greenland and all over the place. This is all about leverage.

Taking Trump literally based on his posting has never been a good idea yet people still do it. It amazes me.

aggie93 said:

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The thing about Trump is everything is a negotiation and he loves chaos. My guess is this is more about sending Europe, China, and Russia a message that we plan on going from being the big dudes on the block to having the ability to become a true empire anytime we want. He is using the leverage of the Venezuela mission to push on Greenland and all over the place. This is all about leverage.

Taking Trump literally based on his posting has never been a good idea yet people still do it. It amazes me.

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Yep. And the fact that you have Rubio, in parallel, delivering the real message to Congress is key. I forget Trump's strategy of negotiating sometimes myself.

Open negotiation with unrealistically high ask and meet in a middle that is still a big win for the opening bidder.

AustinAg2K said:

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Considering we aren't at war with anyone, the budget for the Department of War should be basically cut to nothing.

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Oh, that's a great plan.

That way, when war does come, we can try to find the money to rapidly catch up for all the years of neglect.

I'm sure that will work out well for us