Government Spending, Accountability, and Education Priorities 2025

Lucas Tomlinson from the White House
Thank you. President Trump is not the only one who wants to cut costs at the Pentagon.
Defense Secretary Pete Hex says Doge is more than welcome at the DOD.
We need to know where we spend dollars, where they go, and why.
That’s simple accounting, and it hasn’t existed at the Defense Department.
Every dollar not spent wisely can be put toward warfighters.
We welcome Doge at DOD and will partner with them—it’s long overdue.
The Defense Department has a huge budget, but it needs to be responsible.
This has been fascinating. Guy, we’ll start with you.
There’s been talk about President Trump targeting the Department of Education for cuts.
Some argue real savings lie in the military-industrial complex.
Now, new leaders invite scrutiny: “Come check our books.”
National defense is a federal duty, unlike some discretionary programs.
However, not every dollar in the Pentagon is well spent.
The Defense Secretary acknowledges this and seeks efficiencies.
The Pentagon should not be exempt from budget reviews.
Watching Senator Cory Booker, he called this a “crisis” but seemed unconvinced.
Democrats overuse the term “crisis” for political leverage.
However, many Americans aren’t buying into it.
Democrats face challenges due to lacking House and Senate control.
Charlie, your thoughts?
It’s the opposite of a crisis—who opposes cutting wasteful spending?
I’d welcome an audit of my own finances.
Nobody thinks auditing the Pentagon is a bad idea.
The DOD budget involves hundreds of billions, much unaccounted for.
Pete Heath hopes the DOD can pass an audit within four years.
Historically, they haven’t.
We see unnecessary spending—hundreds of thousands on simple items.
For example, $26M was spent on trans surgeries in the military.
There are countless ways to cut waste.
Kudos to the Marines for keeping their books in order.
Joey, thoughts?
The Marine Corps passes audits because they receive little funding.
Most money goes to the Navy, and we get what’s left.
Federal budgets have discretionary and mandatory spending.
Mandatory spending covers Social Security and Medicare—unchallenged yearly.
Defense is the next biggest budget portion.
Even 1% of a trillion-dollar budget is a significant amount.
This matters because tax cuts must balance with spending cuts.
Otherwise, tax cuts alone increase national debt.
Americans demand lower taxes and reduced government waste.
Both must happen together to avoid further borrowing.
Transparency is key to understanding how taxpayer money is spent.
Biden may be gone, but his border policies still impact communities.
Los Angeles and NYC teachers’ unions distribute red cards to illegal immigrants.
These cards instruct migrants on handling federal law enforcement.
Schools should prioritize education, yet literacy and math scores are dismal.
69% of fourth graders and 70% of eighth graders fail basic reading.
Math scores are equally poor.
President Trump focuses on restoring parental control over education.
He signed an executive order bolstering school choice.
This move faces opposition from teachers’ unions.
Joey, what’s your take?
The Department of Education may not offer major savings.
I know school principals managing funding under federal Title I programs.
These schools get federal funding due to economic need.
Most perform well, as the funds target impoverished communities.
States, not the federal government, largely decide education spending.
Misallocation may occur at the state level, not just federally.
Charlie, your view?
Public schools are failing parents forced to send their children there.
Woke ideologies infiltrate schools while basic education declines.
Illegal immigrant children receive guidance to evade ICE.
Yet students struggle with reading and math fundamentals.
Parents lose control over their children’s education.
Trump’s policies aim to restore parental choice.
Faith-based and private schools offer alternatives.
Diverse districts communicate differently as ICE enforces immigration laws.
Federal school choice efforts help, but state-level action is key.
Texas is on the verge of passing school choice legislation.
Governor Abbott strongly supports the initiative.
Red cards expose flawed priorities in some school districts.
Education should focus on improving literacy and math, not aiding migrants.
One in three eighth graders is functionally illiterate.
Yet schools prioritize “evading the feds” over academic excellence.
During COVID, schools stayed closed—except for teaching illegal immigrants.
Priorities in some districts are completely misaligned.
This debate highlights deep concerns over government efficiency and spending.