During one of his interview, Jon Stewart pressed Kathleen Hicks on the Department of Defense’s budget management, particularly focusing on why the DoD, with its vast $850 billion budget, consistently fails audits and why there are issues like food insecurity among service members.
Hicks responded mockingly by attempting to separate the concept of an audit from “waste, fraud, and abuse,” explaining that failing an audit doesn’t necessarily indicate corruption. Her response was criticized for its perceived dismissiveness, especially when she laughed off Stewart’s concerns, suggesting the complexities of defense spending were beyond simple accounting. This evasion was seen as a sidestep from directly addressing the whereabouts of the billions spent, highlighting a lack of transparency and accountability.
NEW: Department of defense official laughs in Jon Stewart’s face when questioned about the waste, fraud and abuse there.
— MAGA Resource (@MAGAResource) November 17, 2024
Stewart is a liberal but is stunned at Democrat Deputy Defense Secretary Kathleen Hicks’ smug answer when he questions her about the rampant waste, fraud and… pic.twitter.com/DFeDsjt3kv
And this is DOGE’s approach:
The Pentagon failed its 7th straight audit. Our healthcare system siphons billions into waste & fraud. Our Dept of Education blows $$ without accountability. Unelected bureaucrats are the core problem. DOGE is coming. pic.twitter.com/OmtP81i3ch
— Vivek Ramaswamy (@VivekGRamaswamy) November 17, 2024
In contrast, the current Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), led by figures like Elon Musk and Vivek Ramaswamy, has taken a proactive stance on investigating wasteful government expenditures. Unlike the defense department’s approach, DOGE aims to dismantle bureaucracy and streamline government operations, directly tackling the issue of where taxpayer dollars are going. This initiative seems to embrace the exact scrutiny Stewart demanded, reflecting a shift towards greater transparency and efficiency across government sectors, not just within the military, showcasing a different approach to accountability where previous defenses of complexity are replaced by a commitment to clarity and reform.
