In the midst of DOGE cheering is a bit of Republican reality. Getting approval in Congress may not be easy. 
The workers Elon Musk seeks to cut are everywhere, including in politically red areas.
The Wall Street Journal reports DOGE’s Federal Job Cuts Threaten Republican Districts Too.
The South
The South and Southeast is heavy on military installations and veterans, which require civilian support and Department of Veterans Affairs employees. Oklahoma’s 4th Congressional District, for example, is home to Fort Sill and Tinker Air Force Base. Those bases are among the district’s largest employers. In Alabama, the 5th Congressional District is home to the Redstone Arsenal and other national security assets as well as NASA’s Marshall Space Flight Center
Midwest and Northeast
This region has more federal workers who specialize in agriculture as well as its share of civilian workers associated with military installations. In Iowa, for example, a fifth of all federal civilian workers are employed by the Agriculture Department, according to data from the Office of Personnel Management. Ohio’s 10th Congressional District is home to Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, the largest single-site employer in the state, according to the local representative.
The West
Federal civilian workers employed by the Interior Department, which manages America’s vast natural and cultural resources, are more common in western states, as are those who work for the USDA and the Energy Department. In Wyoming, workers for the Interior Department represent roughly a quarter of civilian federal workers there. Alaska and Hawaii both have larger proportions of federal employees supporting military installations, as well as Veterans Affairs workers.
Political Reality
The political reality is both Republicans and Democrats want to cut pork, just not in their district.
Every year, the inevitable result is horse trading this for that. You vote for my pet project and I’ll vote for yours.
Mish Flashback
On October 3, 2023, I commented McCarthy Ousted, House Essentially Frozen, There Is No Path Forward, For What?
Irony of the Day
The eight who pulled off the ouster of McCarthy are cheering along with all the Democrats!
OK guys, you have the ball and the bat, and sided with 100 percent of the Democrats in a historic vote. All 208 Democrats in attendance voted against McCarthy.
Now what are you going to do with the Democrats for an encore?
We soon found out. McCarthy was replaced by Johnson who voted more money for Ukraine, more money for Israel, and more money for child tax credits.
Amazingly, the GOP House Ways and Means Committee agreed to a ridiculous tradeoff with the Democrats that will cost $1.5 trillion over 10 years.
It Just Doesn’t Matter
“It doesn’t matter who is sitting in the speaker’s seat or who has the majority. We keep doing the same stupid stuff,” said Rep. Chip Roy (R., Texas), a leader of the hard-line House Freedom Caucus.
I was blasted for saying that back not only in September, but also early January.
This was the result.
On January 18, 2024, I noted Mike Johnson Is the New (But Not Improved) Kevin McCarthy
The House just passed Mike Johnson’s bipartisan continuing resolution punt. Dear Republicans, please wave the white flag and surrender before doing more damage, because more damage is on the table just today.
If you believe Trump or Musk will fix this, then please address the following synopsis.
Mish Five-Point Synopsis
- Some want this but not that.
- Others want that but not this.
- Still others want this and that.
- Virtually no one wants neither this nor that.
- Everyone always wants more money for something.
What “this” and “that” represent is irrelevant.
Republicans will increase the budget deficit and DOGE will deliver less than promised.
No One Will Fix This
“Compromise is always more spending for this in return for more spending on that.”
Mish: “Neither party will fix the deficits. Neither party will do anything about the mounting debt. No one will do anything about anything because the political system is totally broken.”
The miniscule Republican House majority practically guarantees more of this and more of that, not less of this and less of that.
If all the Republicans stick together 100% with Trump, ignoring deficits, then perhaps we get much more Republican “this” than I envisioned.
If you think I am wrong, then please explain.
On the usdebtclock.org site, there is now a meter showing what the doge would supposedly save *if* their cuts were permanent, currently at 106.88 billion or ~3.82 billion per day since Trump took office. The national debt increases 5.64 billion per day so the debt is still rising, but cutting the increase by 67% is pretty good, however, how much of those cuts will end up staying and can they keep finding 3.82 billion per day and could they find an additional 1.82 billion per day to stop the increase? We will see but it’s really “We the People” who could cut way more and even pay down the debt, giving our future generations a much more secure future, if we start voting for politicians who are committed to balancing the budget and btw, the only party on the ballot who so far say they are serious about that is Libertarian, so how about giving them a try. It wouldnt be easy and would require a lot of sacrifice, and the billionaires would put out mass hysteria propaganda that the country is collapsing and they would try to sabotage all kinds of things to make it seem so, but if we remain steadfast and united we can prevail and isn’t it worth preserving the freedom and prosperity of future Americans including our own family members?
LOL FAFO You voted for this, you got it, don’t worry be happy.
Voting ignorantly or irresponsibly or at the least uninformed also includes voting for the democrats. They cast even more votes than the in favor of the cares act and american rescue act which contrary to their deceptive names, heavily damaged the country rather than helped it. And of course the Uniparty Democrats and Republicans put in place the federal reserve board of governors who carry out socialist price fixing of interest rates by debasing the US dollar, causing inflation and speculative bubbles in houses and stocks, and our massive dangerous debt that endangers the countrys stability and that in the world also as our problems embolden countries to do invasions.
The metaphorical pencils down moment is at the end of fiscal year 2025 which is 30 September 2025.
We will have to wait a few months to find out if fiscal year 2025’s deficit is more than Biden’s 2024 deficit ($1.9 trillion) and how much more than his 2023 deficit ($1.65 trillion).
My fingers are crossed that the inflation adjusted deficit for 2025 is no more than $1.9 trillion.
I don’t see Trump looking to downsize the Pentagon and Homeland Security besides eliminating DEI jobs. Obviously departments and agencies like Education and USAID are on top of his list.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uFPXf6mLUAM
Looks like Trump “might” allow vaccinations for chickens instead of culling them when bird flu strikes.
It will be interesting to see what happens.
I remember the cuts in military bases after the Cold War. Norton AFB in San Bernadino was closed, along with El Toro Marine Air Base. Politicians were concerned about the red and blue split on closings across the country.
The country is 36 trillion, (or is it 37 now, the trillions change so fast) in official government debt. This isn’t a red or blue issue, it affects all of us, one way or another. That’s the dose of reality. The politicians are all about their own self interest as they want to keep their seat as long as Feinstein and McCain did. Pelosi is going for her 21st term next election. McConnell looks like death warmed over, riding in a wheel chair. Constituents are about their own self interest, too. Everyone loves receiving a government contract, but no one loves losing one, whether the owner or workers are red or blue. Everyone becomes dependent on government largess and is afraid to lose it. It becomes a viscous circle.
DOGE is more about revenge than cost cutting. The federal workforce only costs a few percent of the budget.
Revenge? No. Keeping me and my cuck out of jail by shutting down any agency that prosecutes us for crimes we commit, yes.
I do not necessarily think you are wrong yet at least some improvement will occur. As seen by the disclosures on USAID some injustices can be revealed and even rectified. However unlikely it would be awesome if Doge did live up to it’s potential.. That indeed would be ideal.
Here’s an on-point news article about what DOGE and other cuts might mean for Republicans: https://abcnews.go.com/Politics/wireStory/hurricane-helene-ravaged-north-carolina-embrace-trumps-push-118872486
First, it puts to bed a lot of the conspiracy theories put forth about the FEMA hurricane response in NC. FEMA has sent 3/4 of a Billion $ there to date: $380M to state and local government for them to use and distribute for public assistance, and $372M directly to NC citizens (most of which did not voluntarily purchase any or enough insurance to cover themselves for this awful natural disaster).
But what if Trump and/or Musk/DOGE shut down FEMA? We all would save those federal disbursements, but what about NC? Some of those interviewed want to get rid of it now, including Mr. Bailey who received $42,000 but thought he had to go through too many hurdles to get the ‘free’ money (accountability/transparency of where $ is going). He got his $; now he wants to shut it down because someone in the government needs to ask him some questions
Regardless of what you think about FEMA or other government agencies, there is a lot of cognitive dissonance out there among the citizens about what will actually occur. If major tax cuts accompany this deficit-spending cuts across America, I think the end of this experiment might get nasty
That just shows too much government dependence. We are a free country and should operate that way. Success isn’t guaranteed, some will succeed and some will fail. Get rid of the safety net.
Fine by me; that’s why everyone gets a vote. I just pity the people this post is about that thought they were getting something else with their vote.
But your own point about “government dependence” is pretty hilarious. You brag below about how Huntsville AL is thriving. And yet, you list government employee and programs, one after the other. Huntsville is a prime example of being a taker. It receives way more in federal funding to these projects and jobs than it pays in federal taxes.
Maybe your city will get lucky and not be affected like everyone else with the federal budget cuts, but then you’ll just be lucky.
People that consistently hate-vote against their interests are what builds a reich. Fortunately they won’t get a real vote ever again.
How was it handled before FEMA?
People suffered
Bingo. FEMA is an ‘insurance’ program just like Medicaid, unemployment insurance, Social Security, Medicare, etc.
Everyone pays in and some get a little and some get a lot, based upon something bad happening.
If everyone voted to get rid of these programs, that’s fine by me. I feel comfortable in my work and wealth taking care of my own. But I think a lot of people think they are not the actual ‘takers’ of government largesse, and they don’t/can’t see they are the ones that will have to be cut. Good luck to them all
FEMA needs major reform like how it reimburses on debris removal.
James Finch of Lynn Haven Florida (formerly of Phoenix Racing in NASCAR) had complained about this during Hurricane Michael as far as debris removal contractors getting paid for volume and not weight of debris removal.
When Finch got too vocal about this, the local good ole boy system went after him and bamboozled the FBI field office to join in on a corruption investigation that ended up with Finch being found not guilty in federal court.
The trucks with debris would have a lot of space between the tree branches and other debris, but were getting paid as if they were removing a full truck load.
We do not have a spending problem. The taxpayers WANT the benefits of that spending (80% of spending is Social Security, Medicare, Medicaid, Defense, Interest and VA programs). What we have is a REVENUE problem, with millionaires and billionaires paying taxes but not enough .. certainly not the percentages of the 1940s and 50s. We cant fix this in a year. Tax increases will have to be for decades. Lets stop wasting time.
As of 2023, the top 1% have a marginal tax rate of ~23% which is almost 2x of what mine is, and I do pretty well. They also pay 40% of all taxes paid.
Just stick with WE HAVE A
REVENUESPENDING PROBLEM.With that said, I’d like to know what eliminating or reducing the Trump tax cuts on people making (spit balling) $500 – 1M & above would do to reduce the revenue loss as well as raising their taxes.
But don’t worry, in about 5 years, Congress is going to do something to hit the wealthy to fund the looming SSTF zero balance.
With all that DOGE is uncovering, it’s comical that you’re acting like there’s no overspending. Get a grip, dude!
“DOGE” so far hasnt uncovered anything, as most Federal spending has nothing to do with Federal personnel. But they have some people believing they have and I guess that party does believe anything these days.
2005 tax revenues were about 2 trillion 2025 were about 4.45 trillion . This equates to the revenues more than doubling but now we are spending almost 2 trillion more than revenues even though they have more than doubled in the last 20 years . We have a spending problem no doubt . .
Those nunbers were 2005 to 2023 18 years
After 20 years????????? Yes, income problem is the problem. I know you guys all think you too can be billionaires some day but 999 out of 1000 of you wont. Plus you have yet to even name what program you want to cut. Having dimwit Elon randoming cutting whatever he sees in front of him is hardly the smart move.
A very good start, to cut spending, is the FREEZE ANY AND ALL MONEY set aside for FOREIGN INTERESTS. Money to po’ folks in Africa, India, Gaza, Ukraine – – etc. etc.
KEEP THE TAX MONEY AND PONZI MONEY (DEBT RAISING) HERE!
MIsh, your summary is perfect and the IDEAS of what drive this, the political realities, is what causes me to post in other Blogs and websites:
NOTHING.WILL.HAPPEN.
By that phrase, I am making the statement that I have ZERO FAITH in the MECHANISMS of the US Government.
The mechanisms are also driven by LOBBYISTS so you NEED TO ADD THAT THE POLITICAL REALITIES OF THE ENTIRE GOVERNMENT ARE DRIVEN BY:
99% MONEY FROM INDUSTRY
1% SUPPORT OF CONSTITUENTS.
NOTHING.WILL.HAPPEN. BECAUSE 99% of the DECISION-MAKING IS POLITICALLY DRIVEN BY LOBBYISTS.
PERIOD END OF STORY.
I rest my case. Great Article, Mish.
Inequality between CA inland and CA big cities is growing. Inequality between Mississippi farmers, DC is growing. DC per capita income is the highest in the world, doing nothing all day. Trump and the reps will Not abandon the forgotten people. Farmers subsidies will stay put. Arm forces will grow. Trump might rule from Mar Largo to deflate DC. In the last few decades poor people move to the big cities looking for a job. The big cities underground and above ground capillaries and veins are clogged. WFH created a different problem: 4D/5D out of 7 days office buildings are empty. It’s a systemic change . It might metastasize and infect 3BR/5BR single homes.
Huntsville is a prosperous place to live, it was definitely under the radar until post covid, and being adjacent to Nashvilles tremendous rise recently.
20,000 federal jobs are at risk in Huntsville. Is there a reason to worry? I don’t think so.
20,000 won’t be cut but by all means, please cut the grifters. Trimming fat anywhere is good for overall health.
Huntsville is a lower cost area to do business. Trump is finally getting USSPACECOM back here, Patel has spoken of expanding the FBI here, and Redstone Arsenal is the Army R&D hub. If anything, a revamp of the DoD and it’s priorities will be good for HSV, as it’s out with the old and in with the new.
Alabama senators Tommy Tuberville and Katie Britt were also guests att the Superbowl with Trump.
Could it or will it be a bumpy ride as transitional growth occurs? Sure. Mid to long term growth prospects remain high.
You are right Mish. It’s not about fixing the deficit. It’s about eliminating spending we don’t like and replacing it with spending we like.
Although it is truly different this time in that overall spending will do down. So republicans get the best of both worlds…they get to fund their pet projects and claim credit for reducing overall spending.
As it should be. Sick em Doge!
I suppose the constant nay-saying represents diversity of thought, but I am not sure what purpose it serves.
If the impact truly harmed the GOP the media would encourage DOGE. That is obviously not happening.
The military cuts are a good thing. As a retired officer, what we have now is not going to work anymore. Humiliated in Afghanistan, Ukraine being defeated and the Houthis hitting US ships which will never be disclosed to the public.
Ships don’t leave in the middle of a mission for “maintenance”. There are work-ups before the mission to ensure the ship is sound.
I’m not a Trump shill either. I don’t like the 500B investment in AI. I also don’t like that there is no mention about the USAID and other waste going back to citizens. There should be massive tax cuts this year, especially for the middle and upper middle which have been getting bludgeoned with taxes.
Excellent doublethink, comrade!
Don’t cut you, don’t cut me, cut that fellow behind the tree.
There are more millionaires in Huntsville than in Los Alamos. Many work for Trump..
Grudgingly have to agree. The incentive to be reelected by your STATE is too great to be overcome by the desire to do what is truly best for your COUNTRY. Trump is the outlier, he doesn’t have to get re-elected. This is why I have become a staunch supporter of term limits for all the decision makers, all of Congress. I am moving towards one term as the maximum. This would make it much less valuable to “buy” a congressman.
Hakeem the regime change and his boss will gang again to de-cap Trump.
Some military bases might become concentration camps.
Willfully ignorant (OK, under-educated) people think their prosperity and the economy is just God taking care of them because they are American and White. No, it has a lot of pump-priming behind the curtain, as presently constituted (whatever one thinks of that). But now comes the reality stress-test, answering all the arrogance, because so few have displayed any shred of humility or self-questioning. The tone has been very righteous. But, as after the W Bush fiascos (historically impoverishing us all, and often on money borrowed from China, alongside guess what — tax cuts), they never apologized or admitted possible mistake, they just got quiet for a short time before the next tide of arrogance found a new batch of excuses.
Total hypocrisy (or delusion) in voters. Do they want their poor unhealthy Medicaid parent on their doorstep, or their unemployed kids? This spending trickles through all those remote locale economies,plenty of which have huge revenue gaps otherwise. I could say they were raised on absurd and often worthless digital devices, but plenty of these voters are old enough to know better. They are childish fantasists. Now they got what they “wanted.” Oh well, too late fools, try to manage this bull you put in the china shop. He will hand “your” money to his pals, who are yachting, and will buy your house from under you.
The MAGA folks have no idea what is coming to them. They will be the first to be screwed by the Trump administration, who is all for billionaires. The Res states survive on federal pork. Poetic justice. The voted for it.
In 2020 Trump and JP transferred money from the rich to shingle mums, the elderly, the poor and middle class. The regime change king was so furious he, Nancy the Ripper and Schiff tried to de-cap Trump x3 times.
Typical WSJ misinformation as military personnel are exempt from the cuts. Support personnel for actual military ops will also be exempt.
Do people ever actually report the truth or or complete crapola when it comes to Trump?
Anybody who follows Peter Turchin’s work would recognize that the incredible proliferation of NGOs with very well-paying jobs is a way soak up “elite overproduction”. Since there are only so many places in the elite ecology, the children that that elite are left outside and risk falling out of the elite category. A way to prevent that is to make plentiful jobs with NGOs most which can only offer those jobs if they are subventioned by government funds flowing into them. It looks like this has run its course so many of them will effectively fall out of the elite circle. According to Turchin, these young rejected elites will be attracted to fomenting revolutionary activities. If he is right then we will be soon experiencing violence from domestic terrorism and more which could turn tragic.
They can always get a real job.
Don’t expect them to take their loss of revenue and especially status lightly. Be above all wary of the lawyers in the group. All violent revolutions have been led by lawyers. I am not kidding.
Foreign entities along with religious leaders are working on the destruction of the US in the year of the snake.
The caste people, not the dejected elite, along with equipped foreign suboteurs, might stir mayhem and Anti Trump protests. Trump’s iron fist will restore “law and order”.
Look up the Zizians.
https://www.sfgate.com/bayarea/article/new-details-bay-area-zizians-death-cult-20165754.php
Get the real stuff from : Robert Hunter: “Revolution”, 1940 edition, if it’s still available on Amazon.
– would recognize that the incredible proliferation of NGOs with very well-paying jobs is a way…
> To Pay People, with “Taxpayers $$$, to do the jobs, that Governments are NOT supposed to be doing.
– the children that that elite are left outside and risk falling out of the elite category.
> Thankfully there is a way to have them disappear…
– these young rejected elites will be attracted to fomenting revolutionary activities.
> These idiots are still learning to tie their shoes right. They are ONLY capable of a “few words” and also be able to use them in a sentence. A few examples for you:
>> “More” please. OR “How” do you make $$, OR “Why” do you Say “what’s there’s is Mine” and thing like that…
– If he is right then we will be soon experiencing violence from Them!
> They might pick their nose and flick it at you.
>> Let me know when they “Laugh” at a joke, “Smile” at anything but $$, “Give a damn” about anything but $$, can “Critically Think” and normal behavior such as this…
Most of them are incapable of fomenting a revolution but there enough to cause a lot of trouble. In the 70’s and early 80’s there were very violent domestic terrorist groups in the US and even more in Europe. I remember because I was there.
So was I, but if you’re talking like the “Weather Underground” and groups gathered to foment violence, yeah a few. Having people jumping out of windows, on Drugs, was more of an issue for my neighborhood in the 60’s, and Anti-War Marches…
A friend always said government employment was -“welfare for white people”. That’s true, government soaks up a lot of unemployable college grads for meaningless tasks. The factories used to be full of featherbedded employees who couldn’t otherwise find gainful employment. These schemes cut across economic classes not just the elite.
– government employment was -“welfare for white people”
> Good paying jobs, for the predominant skin color of the time, sounds logical.
– government soaks up a lot of unemployable college grads for meaningless tasks.
> Good choice, as they are beholden to the Loans, and will “Do Anything”
Sounds logical.
Missus read me a sad story about an old tea party MAGA patriot who happened to work for the federal government who’d been fired because of DOGE.
I told her if we don’t see Maga loving layed off federal government workers marching towards the capitol within the next few weeks than it’s all FAKE NEWS.
Could you imagine the rage you’d be filled with if you voted for a potus who then fired you 3 weeks into his administration?
One would think AI could cull through the federal employees to see if and what party they’re registered with?
I’m thinking it’s all fake, (AI INCLUDED), can’t lose either way because a bunch of FIRED Maga VOTERS marching through the capitol with TDS would be the quintessential irony.
Cool story, bro
Cool fake story bro…
Use of ‘quintessential’ indicates high SAT score. Columbia?
Who cares. Is Dick The Bruiser wrestling Baron Von Raschke tonight, if people want to root for one against another.
The can kicking to get to this point has been ingenious by governments (local, federal & foreign) if only they hadn’t been averse to minor pain (Republic vice a Democracy).
The DOGE “Cuts” are a sixth type of can kicking addressing worst of government largess abuse, fraud, inefficiency & waste which will mostly address increased costs of rising interest rates and servicing our government debt giving USA a few more years. In a few months can go for juicier targets as people get tired of or tune out more of the same negative media coverage Trump is bad deporting illegals and cutting government spending.
Hoping DOJ goes after the medical and health care industry (Significant money there).
Dollar purchasing power has been devalued over 99% through the years going off silver standards via inflation.
Question is can Trump keep USA and the dollar chugging along and preventing from imploding for four more years under his term without triggering a Great Depression and making it worse & lengthier fighting it. IMO delaying major or complete loss of the reserve currency more beneficial than detrimental despite recent actions.
As they should be.
I agree, Mish. I live in a red state and I’m seeing lots of local and statewide news about these same loss of funds or jobs from EOs. And there are LOTS of people that haven’t lost anything YET, but are really afraid about the same happening to them.
I don’t think Trump cares; he thinks this is what he was elected to do.
But I’m very interested in what happens when the Republican Congress actually starts working and tries to pass some bills. How do you think these red-state Republicans that voted for Trump to cut from the ‘other takers’ are going to respond when tax cuts come for the upper middle class and the rich, and these patriotic voters are the ones losing their jobs and funds (and the deficit still increases?)
I don’t think it will be pretty
Everyone deserves what’s coming. I am ready to work four part-time jobs to survive. I’ll do anything legal to make money. Americans are about to learn.
Yeah! We do what we need to do or have to do. That’s life in the real world.
What’s the alternative – keeping paying money we don’t have to employees we don’t need? We have a $2T deficit.
Some spending had to go. But as the world’s “cleanest dirty shirt,” we have incredible assets (now being dismantled). Did all this did it have to go straight to the richest who already have a far, far bigger share than ever before (except maybe the 1890s)?
Everyone’s going to have a different opinion.
But one alternative is not to reinstitute the TCJA tax cuts that went predominantly to the well-off while cutting the jobs and income of a lot of regular people who are then going to request unemployment and food aid
Trump at least expanded the 10% tax bracket, which benefited many.
My refund this year smaller than any prior years.
Mish, I think you are wrong. Two reasons.
First, the Fed Gov has its back against the wall regarding interest expenses eating the budget alive. It no longer matters much what individual Cobgressfolk want or don’t want. The bond market is going to dictate tight budgets for a decade or two, just like 1980-2000. I posit that the reason long rates didn’t freak out about rising inflation this week is that so far, DOGE is actually delivering enough politically viable cuts to avoid a runaway deficit hyperinflation scenario.
Second, what Congressfolk want isn’t spending per se, it’s re-election. The repeated exposure of massive government fraud and RICO-level corruption is stripping all the political cover away from the spendthrifts. It won’t matter what the lobbyists want, the path to re/election is through the voters, and they are going incendiary.
But if that’s the case, we should be cutting the actual budget (SS, Medicare/caid, Defense). We can fire every federal employee and we’ll still be in basically the same deficit boat.
Why would a future trillonaire like Musk care about the MAGA losers? Musk and Trump have their own agenda, and it’s certainly not about helping people who got screwed by decades of legalized corruption and underinvesting in productivity-boosting education.
“Musk and Trump have their own agenda”
My God, Albert, everyone in politics has their own agenda. It’s part of the job description.
However, there is this little matter of people who seem to love adulation above all.
Never did, never will, doesn’t seem to bother them a bit. You can do whatever you want to them… no sense of self preservation whatsoever.
The fact remains, the national debt squares to around $107K per U.S. citizen, $323K per tax payer. If some cuts don’t take place (including entitlements), we tip over by bread rocketing past $50 a loaf or taxes going to where no one bothers to work.
I’m stealing this! Are you the actual author or did you copy this from someone else?
WINNER, WINNER, chicken dinner!
The other white meat.
Liar, liar, pants on fire!
Here’s the problem. The US has been funding the economy for decades. Our government is more socialist than many will admit. Perhaps Trump can cull out one trillion from the yearly spending, but beware. If the cuts are too extreme, it will cause an economic decline.
.
President Andrew Jackson paid off the national debt in 1835 and vetoed most spending bills. What resulted was the Panic of 1837. It was such a severe depression that it forced the government to resume borrowing.
So much of the US economy depends on government spending, and it will be tough to eliminate much spending without a president being labeled Herbert Hoover.
From what we are now finding from DOGE and USAID, apparently the entire world depends on the beleaguered American taxpayer for food, medicine, LGBTQ programs, etc.
The Democratic Party and its government bureaucrats are a criminal kickback conspiracy ripe for RICO. Elon Musk is gathering evidence.
I think it’s possible we spend *more* money fixing the stuff that gets screwed up/fighting in court with farmers and federal employees and charities that can claim the gov’t can’t just unilaterally break a contract, rehiring people we realize were actually important, etc than we thought we were saving.
Once you decide not to touch all the transfer payments to old people, gutting everything else is just kinda dumb if your goal is saving money.
The goal appears to be chaos:
“Trump administration officials fired more than 300 staffers Thursday night at the National Nuclear Security Administration — the agency tasked with managing the nation’s nuclear stockpile — as part of broader Energy Department layoffs, according to four people with knowledge of the matter.”
“Congress is freaking out because it appears DOE didn’t really realize NNSA oversees the nuclear stockpile,” one source said.”
https://www.cnn.com/2025/02/14/climate/nuclear-nnsa-firings-trump/index.html
More MSM scaremongering. CNN is a deep state whiner. The incoming DOE leaders know exactly what NNSA does, and given the level of inefficiency there I’m quite confident NNSA could lose 300 staffers and actually improve productivity as a result.
Exactly. Americans need to be in much deeper trouble before they will give in completely to fascism.
Yup, I agree. As I said below 100k Feds retire or leave each year. A hiring freeze alone for 4 years would reduce the nber of employees and not result in a shit ton of lawsuits and chaos. Trumps/Musk’s approach is just dumb and reactionary.
A major part of Trump’s plan is the lawsuits. He obviously knew they would be coming and there is no one in history that I know of who has more stomach for fighting contracts and law fare in court than he does. He wants to get these suits to higher courts, and end the end to the Supreme Court where he believes he can win.
Sadly, not wrong here.
Still wrong, however, on DOGE in general and the Presidents plenary power. DOGE is the renamed (by EO) United States Digital Service. This is a Statuatory government agency, created by Obama in 2014 and authorized by Congress via 5 USC 3161. Funding was and continued to be provided. And the law allows for a minimum of one lawyer, one IT guru, and one investigative resource to be embedded in every single govt agency. Everything DOGE is doing is legal and supported by that and other statutes.
In addition, we have already seen two judges walk back their TROs. Just today Judge Bayes vacated the TRO he put in place denying DOGE access to the Dept of Labor, Education, and the Consumer Protection Bureau. I won’t repeat what he said. But the two key points, plaintiffs lacked standing and were unlikely to be successful on the merits.
Expect more of this in the coming days. No matter their politics, judges do not like to be overturned. And most, if not all, of the current lawfare efforts will fail. The plaintiffs do not have the law on their side. The Lughtbringer created DOGE, got Congress to fund it, got Congress to agree to allow it to access all agency databases. The irony is that this was done to fix the Obamacare debacle. It is now being repurposed by some incredibly brilliant lawyers and administrators to dig into the rotted bowels of every govt agency.
Close to 100k federal employees retire or leave each year. The hiring freeze coupled with shuffling existing employees to needed areas (when practical) could have achieved the desired results without costing much political capital. DOGE’s shotgun approach is foolish in my view.
Can we say its a photo-op?
Not if the elevators in the PA mine breakdown.
And what is Trump supposed to do with his political capital other than pass tax cuts?
Everything Trump & Musk do is foolish in your mind.
Please remind us the last time you had anything positive to say about either one?
Trump did something good by getting rid of the DEI shit. There…you happy now? I don’t care about that stuff though. It was all a dog whistle to rally libs and conservatives in support of a cause and against a cause, respectively. It was nothing more than a well thought out culture war flavored distraction. That shit appeared out of nowhere and disappeared just as quickly. Things that make ya go hmmmmm. Regardless, it worked like a charm on the rubes on both sides of the political isle.
Cut the cultists shit and stop identifying with your political thoughts.
If Trump spends all his political capital pissing voters off he’ll lose the house in the midterms, then he’ll get nothing done unless he goes full dictator. Maybe that’s what you want?
He wont leave in 2028 unless he passes away. Barron is already being groomed, and we’ve never even heard Barron speak one word. Some say Barron is autistic.
Look, Scott, Brandon brought us pretty close to Banana Republic status, but we’re not to the point where Trump or anyone else is going to pull a coup to stay in power. The GOP is stacked with great 2028 alternatives to Trump.
Keep spouting Libs of TikTok crap though.
Biden was no barrel of laughs but he never even tiptoed up to the dictator line like the Orange Wonder is. Today Don texted that anything he does in his mind to save the country isnt illegal.
“I don’t care about that stuff (DEI) though.”
Why, are you a DEI hire, Woodsie?
“stop identifying with your political thoughts.”
I have no idea what that means. Everyone who posts here does so based on, in part, their political “thoughts”.
Let me clue you in on a secret, Woodsie. If Trump does what has to be done, which is reduce government spending, which includes significant government job loses, he’s going to lose the midterms. There’s not going to be enough time to stimulate private job growth to rehire a lot of these pissed off people.
He stands a reasonable chance of lurching us into a mild recession, which I wouldn’t mind, because a RECESSION is the only way inflation gets knocked back. Housing isn’t going to drop enough on its own, especially if Bessent gets his wish & starts manipulating the 10YT yield curve like he’s signaling the Treasury is about to do. And I personally won’t be surprised to see the Fed start buying MBS later this year once it stops QT and starts buying assets to maintain its balance sheet / reserves.
Trump wants mortgage rates to fall, to help stimulate the economy. Legit.
Each human being 100% interchangeable is to believe that eating every piece of food is equal, so eating chicken three times a day every day is just fine. Not to mention you are also having to move around families as not every Federal family lives on one block in Dallas.
It just doesn’t matter. We’re pretty much cooked We have to gut the value of the dollar, institute high tariffs, bring a lot of new industry to the US, endure high inflation, and stop breaking the government’s social contract with its own people (example — sending hundreds of $millions to the Taliban each year while giving hurricane victims in NC checks for $800). It’s too big a hill. The people’s rejection of the Obama/Biden criminal ring felt good, but the rot will return. There are patriotic Americans who are willing to make sacrifices, but they will be overwhelmed by the political, media, and citizen parasites who represent the handout economy. I hope that I am wrong.
“Every revolution evaporates and leaves behind only the slime of a new bureaucracy.”
― Franz Kafka
A bird went in search of a cage.
— Franz Kafka
The federal government is duplicating efforts of states and local governments. A re-balancing of responsibilities is on order. Local issues (education, welfare, and healthcare) need to be addressed by local governments.The federal government needs to focus on national security, regulating telecommunications, transportation standards, and regulation of things transported across state lines.
Please add protecting our 1A & 2A rights.
I think the initial perception was that Musk was going to cut unnecessary jobs in Washington, D.C. (i.e., the swamp).
Firing a Dept. of Ag veterinarian in Nebraska is a whole different story.
It’s a whole different America, actually.
Most people have no idea what’s happening until it hits them in the face. I’ve been reading the Reddit forums and they are full of bitter, angry people at DOGE and Trump.
1. Tennessee farmers stop receiving their “aid” after shutdown of some government office.
2. A woman running a charity has to shut it down because USAID somehow was part of the food chain that fed her charity.
3. Veterans angry they were being fired and veteran benefits being cut.
4. Nurses, doctors, and hospitals worried they will need to shut down after Medicaid is cut, it’s already having serious repercussions.
I could go on and provide links but we’re limited to one here so here’s one about angry veterans.
https://www.wsbtv.com/news/local/atlanta/weve-been-betrayed-local-veterans-angry-after-being-laid-off-by-trump-administration/FBCKFRIFQRHZVK5FG3W7MUQEYA/
The anger is slowly building and spreading like cancer all across America.
Got popcorn?
Like any housecleaning, you might throw out the wrong shit…..What you describe needs to be fixed , I agree. And I am sure so does mostly everyone else
What it does not mean is that we should not be cleaning up USaid.
Spending millions trying to get African nations to accept Transgenders for instance is a _ucking waste of our money and needs to stop. Go look at that list……..
I’m personally sick of this crap. We need to clean it up and make sure we do not penalize those that truly need aid
Well that’s Reddit for you
There are so many twists and turns, hands in the pot and unseen consequences with cutting government spending, which is why no one has been successful at doing it in a major way.
Will Trump’s don’t give an EFF work better?
My son is involved with chemotherapy at a VA hospital and according to him nothing is happening. I think I will follow his observation rather than an ABC affiliate’s headlines
Yeah, you’re definitely a product of our failing education system. If I can’t see it myself, it doesn’t exist. Thanks for your 1 in 335 million personal example; it’s helpful
And you have seen what first hand at the VA hospital patient rooms?
Yes, my father-in-law is a veteran, and I take him to appointments and the VA hospital when he needs it. What’s your point?
Until there is a break in your FILs medical care I fail to see your point.
Do you mean everything has stopped or everything is still going on as before?
In the front line patient care things are the same. Administratively who knows. The purpose of the VA hospitals is to provide patient care and is not a “jobs project.”
Regardless if the VA provides patient care or “jobs”, it still costs the rest of us taxpayers money out of our own pocket and adds to the deficit. So if/when the VA gets cut or downsized, you can’t say you weren’t warned or didn’t vote for this. Gutting spending for more tax cuts is what Trump ran on.
Who in their right mind thinks there’s not going to be lots of crying & gnashing of teeth, when you’ve got $1.82T to find & cut?
We borrowed $839B in the first four months of FY2025. That’s obscene!
And, I guess you’re the only one who can see the freight train coming?
Reddit is a left wing nutcase hangout which fits perfectly with you and and your corrupt views.
Please list the Veterans’ benefits being cut.
You can’t because there aren’t any.
Why are VA benefits special? They still come out of my taxpayer dollars and add to the deficit. Why are the uber wealthy going to get tax cuts? And the farmers get less? And hospital employees get less for treating the low-income? But veterans don’t bear the brunt of any of the cuts? Who decided they were some of the few chosen ones that don’t take a hit?
Please cut more in my district.
The Show must go on. And it’s an interesting show to watch.
Might as well dissolve Congress now. They are no longer needed. Just like hundreds of thousands of government workers.
All we need are Musk and Trump. They are in control now.
Though I am still waiting on those tariffs. Always teased, but never delivered.
Here’s a unique idea that could throw a wrench into all of Trump’s tariff plans!
That sounds good to me. Another experiment worth trying.
However, Trump would not be satisfied with just 0 tariffs from Europe.
Next, he would demand an end to Europe’s VAT.
Then more NATO spending.
Then a dozen other things.
He is not interested in a fair or even playing field. He wants a rigged game so he always wins.
The problem is, the rest of the world is unlikely to give that to him.
You’re a very smart guy. Stop acting like Trump was going to go hog wild with tariffs on day one. He’s been in office 25 days, and he’s already enacted 10% tariffs imports from China. Are you really surprised that it going to take him 100 days to roll out reciprocal tariffs?
The guy is just an idiot that thinks everything should be instantaneous
Trump is the one who promised all these tariffs and their incredible benefits. Starting from day 1. If he already knows the benefits are real, then there is no point in waiting to enact them.
I consider Trump’s tariffs a wonderful experiment in real world economics. I would like to see what these massive tariff revenues will accomplish. Aren’t you curious too?
I am anxiously waiting to see if they will do what he says:
Bring back manufacturing and jobs.
Eliminate the annual deficit and then the debt.
Eliminate income taxes.
Make us all rich.
Lead us to the Golden Age.
I say why not try and see. And the sooner the better. The sooner he starts, the sooner we will all be rich.
Something else worth watching:
“We’re even looking at Treasuries,” the president told reporters. “There could be a problem … It could be that a lot of those things don’t count. In other words, that some of that stuff that we’re finding is very fraudulent, therefore maybe we have less debt than we thought.”
Trump may selectively default on debts.
And honestly, I wouldn’t blame him. The enormity of our spending problems is mind boggling.
Like you, I consider all that Trumps is trying to accomplish a grand experiment, especially in terms of tariffs. America’s manufacturing has been raped & pillaged far too long.
We need to extract ourselves in any way possible with eliminating our dependence China for our strategic goods. I don’t know of another way to do so without tariffs other than spending tons of federal dollars that we don’t have to subsidize the shift.
I’m hopeful that we want the same outcome, American success.
Agree. We both want American success. It is worth trying to encourage more manufacturing in the US. Perhaps Trump’s tariffs will accomplish that. Perhaps they won’t. But we will not know unless he tries. However, if he keeps wimping out, how will we ever know?