While Democrats and their media allies continue to cry and whine about Elon Musk and the Department of Government Efficiency slashing government waste like never before, they seem to have forgotten that it's not a new concept.
According to Breitbart, a video resurfaced this week of former President Barack Obama announcing in a 2011 video that he had placed then-Vice President Joe Biden in charge of cutting government waste.
The video sparked mountains of mockery and comments.
Musk posted the video on his X account and noted that Obama's message at the time "sounds exactly like DOGE."
The video, which consists of Obama announcing an effort to cut government waste, quickly made the rounds across social media, especially the part where he says "nobody messes with Joe."
In his caption while reposting the video, Musk wrote, "Obama sounds exactly like DOGE!!"
Obama sounds exactly like @DOGE!! https://t.co/k92s04pJdY
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) March 14, 2025
In the video, Obama pointed to specific examples of what he believed was government waste, pointing out "folk music ensemble made up of forest rangers" and government buildings that were sitting vacant.
"They’re called the Fiddlin’ Foresters," Obama said in the video. "I’ll put their music on my iPod, but I’m not paying for their website — and there are hundreds of similar sites that we should consolidate or just get rid of."
He added, "By the way, you’re not only paying for websites no one needs. You’re paying for thousands of buildings all across the country no one uses. For the last decade, the government has owned a massive and completely empty warehouse in the middle of Brooklyn, for example."
Users across social media had a lot of fun commenting on Obama's 2011 video.
"Except they didn't really mean this Elon. It was a front. But you do mean it, thanks," one X user wrote.
Another X user wrote, "It was an “Obama DOGE” type project where billions reported saved, but the oversight enhancements as we note today eventually made it worse. Obama Cleaned up corruption and later caused more corruption with the replacement oversight he installed…"
It's truly amazing to witness the hypocrisy unfold within the ranks of the Democratic Party when videos like this resurface.
Donald Trump doubled down on his threats to take control of Greenland during an Oval Office meeting with the head of NATO.
Trump has repeatedly said Greenland's strategic Arctic location makes it essential for U.S. security. The president sought to conscript NATO into his plans on Thursday, telling the alliance's secretary general Mark Rutte that NATO would play a key role in acquiring the mineral-rich island.
"We've been dealing with Denmark, we've been dealing with Greenland, and we have to do it. We really need it for national security. I think that's why NATO might have to get involved in a way, because we really need Greenland for national security. It's very important," Trump said.
Rutte demurred, saying he does not want to "drag" NATO into the issue, but Trump took a different view of the matter.
"You know, Mark, we need that for international security, not just security - international - we have a lot of our favorite players cruising around the coast, and we have to be careful," Trump told Rutte on Thursday. "We'll be talking to you."
Since reclaiming the White House, Trump has repeatedly threatened to take over Greenland, Canada, and the Panama Canal. Trump vowed the U.S. would acquire Greenland "one way or another" during his speech to Congress this month.
During Thursday's Oval Office meeting, Trump mocked NATO member Denmark over its claims to Greenland, which is physically closer to the U.S.
"You know, Denmark's very far away, and really has nothing to do. What happens, a boat landed there 200 years ago or something? And they say they have rights to it. I don't know if that's true. I don't think it is," he said.
Rutte praised Trump for pressuring America's NATO allies to make "staggering" increases in defense spending. Trump has long accused Europe of freeloading off the American military.
“You have to keep NATO strong. You have to keep it relevant,” Trump told Rutte.
Trump's meeting with Rutte came after recent elections in Greenland, a semi-autonomous territory of Denmark. The outgoing prime minister of the island dismissed Trump's latest annexation comments.
"The US president has once again aired the thought of annexing us," Mute Egede said in a Facebook post. "Enough is enough."
While Greenland and Denmark have both rejected Trump's plan, speculation over Greenland's future is certain to continue with Russia and China increasing their presence in the Arctic.
"I think that will happen," Trump said when asked about annexation.
Robert F. Kennedy Jr. has given a tongue-in-cheek diagnosis of President Trump's robust constitution, marveling at the president's ability to lose weight while consuming Big Macs and Diet Coke.
Kennedy, the nation's top public health official, said Trump "lost 30 pounds" even with "all the crap that he eats."
The comment came during an interview with Fox News' Sean Hannity at a Steak n Shake restaurant.
"I saw him yesterday, and I think he's lost 30 pounds," Kennedy told Hannity.
“He looks great," Hannity responded. "And he told me, he’s not using … for example, if he has a burger now, he usually doesn’t have it with a bun,” Hannity said.
"Oh, I didn’t know that he was actually changing his diet," Kennedy said.
Trump is famously fond of fast food - he even did a stint at McDonald's while campaigning for re-election last year.
Kennedy marveled at Trump's remarkable "genetic system," which has allowed the president to consume a diet most people would consider unhealthy while slimming down - and maintaining an extraordinary stamina level for a 78-year-old.
"I have to say this … and even with all the — can I say — crap that he eats," Kennedy said before Hannity cut him off.
A critic of ultra-processed food, Kennedy has made reducing chronic disease a top priority at the Health and Human Services Department, which he leads.
Already, the leader of the "Make America Healthy Again" movement has begun targeting unhealthy ingredients like food coloring, and he has said poor people on food stamps - who tend to have worse health outcomes - should not be able to buy junk foods like soda with government assistance.
“I’m not going to take them away from people, but we shouldn’t be subsidizing them,” Kennedy told Hannity. "We shouldn’t, as you said, 10 percent of food stamps, which are federally funded, taxpayer-funded program … is going to the poorest neighborhoods.”
Despite his conscientious mindset about nutrition, Kennedy was famously pictured eating McDonald's with Trump on the president's campaign plane last year.
As Kennedy quipped, eating fast food is an inevitable part of traveling with the Donald.
"Campaign food is always bad, but the food that goes onto that airplane is, like, just poison," Kennedy said at the time. "You have a choice between — you don’t have the choice. You’re either given KFC or Big Macs."
Elon Musk's Department of Government Efficiency canceled an apartment lease used by the Secret Service to protect Ashley Biden - but the Secret Service is pushing back.
As reported by the Philadelphia Inquirer, DOGE said it cancelled a lease for a 1,000 square foot apartment in Philadelphia, where Biden's daughter lives. Secret Service said it is unaware of changes to the lease, however.
"This Secret Service work site is essential to our operations and necessary to effectuate our protective functions,” agency spokesperson Anthony Guglielmi said Monday.
All presidents and their spouses, and their children under 16 are entitled to Secret Service protection, but security can be extended.
Before he left office, former President Biden extended the protective detail for his daughter until July, an official told the Inquirer. The Secret Service said DOGE did not necessarily compromise her safety by sharing the lease information, but the lease agreement remains "essential" for Biden's protection.
"Disclosing the address of a Secret Service work site does not necessarily compromise security for a protectee,” Guglielmi said. “We are very cognizant of these possibilities and take all of it into consideration when developing our protective posture,” he added.
The DOGE website lists over 700 cancelled leases across different government agencies. Three of those leases are listed in Delaware, in Wilmington and Rehoboth Beach, where President Biden owns two homes.
The Delaware leases collectively add up to $1 million a year. The Philadelphia apartment for Ashley Biden's security detail cost taxpayers $36,348 every year.
The General Services Administration, which manages government real estate holdings and leases, said the Philadelphia and Wilmington leases are intact.
"None of the leases cited were flagged by GSA for termination,” GSA spokesperson Will Powell said. “Both the Philadelphia and Wilmington leases are intact until the end of their term.”
Ashley Biden, 43, is the only child of Joe Biden and Jill Biden. Ashley Biden's diary was infamously stolen in 2020, leading to the prosecution of two individuals who sold it to a conservative news outlet, Project Veritas.
The Justice Department in February said it would not bring charges against Project Veritas, which declined to publish the diary.
In the notebook, Ashley Biden described her troubles with sex and drugs - and mentioned "showers with dad" that she said were "probably not appropriate."
"I have always been boy crazy," she wrote. "Hyper-sexualized @ a young age. What is this due to? Was I molested. I think so – I can't remember specifics but I do remember trauma."
The White House is mourning a veteran Fox News cameraman who lost his life to cancer recently.
61-year-old Craig Savage, who worked in the network's White House unit, was with Fox News from the day it launched in 1996.
Fox News' CEO Suzanne Scott and President and Executive Editor Jay Wallace called Savage a "pioneering force" in a memo informing employees of the sad news.
Savage helped capture pivotal events in the channel's history, including Fox News' first-ever presidential interview with Bill Clinton, the network said. The cameraman "was subsequently involved in nearly every presidential interview thereafter."
"He also ran the FOX floor camera at the 2000 and 2004 presidential conventions — an extremely challenging job that he truly relished," the statement read.
Savage captured President George W. Bush's surprise trip to Iraq on Thanksgiving in 2003, as well as President Trump's covert visit to Afghanistan on Thanksgiving in 2019.
"His stealth and proficiency in delivering footage under the most stringent conditions were a testament to his skill and dedication," Scott and Wallace wrote.
Savage's skill and dedication made him the "go-to person" for ensuring "flawless live shots from the White House," the statement said.
"In one notable instance, Craig chose to act as an engineer during a major pool trip for FOX News when then-President Clinton visited Africa, deciding to help our very young team accomplish a huge assignment instead of traveling in his traditional role, which would have allowed him to go on a safari and have a front row seat to an historic event in Africa."
Savage's untimely passing has elicited an outpouring of tributes from his colleagues, including Fox News' chief Washington correspondent, Mike Emanuel.
We are mourning the passing of a dear colleague and friend. My heartfelt condolences to Craig Savage’s family. 🙏📷✝️https://t.co/8aurJx1dUQ#FoxNews
— Mike Emanuel 🇺🇸 (@MikeEmanuelFox) March 10, 2025
Sharing a reaction to the sad news, White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt called Savage a "great man."
"A very tragic death. An individual who was a great man and covered this building for many, many years," she said. "The entire press office, the communications office here wants to express our condolences with his family."
Savage is survived by his wife, Fox News senior producer Anne Marie Riha, his sons Jake, Andrew and Maxwell, daughter-in-law Alexa, his stepchildren Zachary and Carly Norins and his grandchildren Sloane and Evander Savage.
The Supreme Court ruled against two veterans who were denied disability benefits for post-traumatic stress disorder.
In a 7-2 decision, the court held that the petitioners' claims went through the legally required review process. The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) applies a special "benefit of the doubt" rule, which tips the scales in favor of veterans when evidence for and against them is in "approximate balance."
The Supreme Court considered what degree of deference veterans should receive under the rule. The majority took a narrow view, arguing "benefit of the doubt" only requires a veteran's court to look for "clear error" in the VA's determination.
“We hold that the VA’s determination that the evidence is in approximate balance is a predominantly factual determination reviewed only for clear error,” Justice Clarence Thomas wrote.
Both veterans had their claims denied by the VA, the Board of Veterans’ Appeals, and the U. S. Court of Appeals for Veterans Claims (Veterans Court).
Petitioner Joshua Bifkin served in the Air Force from late 2005 to early 2006. He requested and obtained a nonprejudicial hardship discharge after his wife threatened to commit suicide if he stayed in the military. Years later, he applied for disability benefits, citing PTSD, but his claim was denied.
The second veteran, Norman Thornton, served in the Army from 1988 to 1991. He received benefits for PTSD, but the VA denied his request to raise his disability rating beyond 50%.
The two veterans said they are entitled, under the "benefit of the doubt" rule, to a thorough review of the facts. They pointed to Congress' instruction for the Veterans Court to "take due account" of the VA's application of the benefit of the doubt rule.
Clarence Thomas, writing for the Supreme Court, said Congress never intended to create a new standard of review with its "take due account" language. Since the balancing of evidence in disability cases is primarily a factual issue, the Veterans Court should apply the "clear error" standard normally used when reviewing factual findings by lower courts, Thomas wrote.
"However labeled, the directive to 'take due account' does not do the work that petitioners envision. Had Congress intended to impose a new standard of review for challenges to the VA’s application of the benefit-of-the-doubt rule, it would have clearly named a standard," he wrote.
Dissenting, Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson and Justice Neil Gorsuch argued that that the "clear error" standard is not appropriate.
Whether the VA correctly followed the "benefit of the doubt" rule is a legal - not a factual - question subject to a higher standard of review, they said.
The majority's reading of the "take due account" language trivializes Congress' intentions and treats the Veterans Court like a "rubber stamp," Jackson wrote.
“In short, the court today concludes that Congress meant nothing when it inserted [take due account] in response to concerns that the Veterans court was improperly rubber-stamping the VA’s benefit-of-the-doubt determinations, and also that the Veterans court is not obliged to do anything more than defer to those agency decisions notwithstanding Congress’s ‘take due account’ direction,” Jackson said.
The sudden death of Congressman Sylvester Turner shocked Washington D.C. and Capitol Hill this week. The lawmaker died at age 70.
According to KHOU, longtime anchor for the network Les Cannon expressed his shock and disbelief regarding the congressman's sudden death, as he had just communicated with him via text just hours before he died. The two had reportedly spoken about obituaries.
Rep. Turner was a former mayor of the city of Houston, Texas, and Cannon was one of his friends in the media business.
It was reported that Turner passed away early on Wednesday morning in Washington D.C., sending shockwaves through the nation's capitol.
Turner had battled health problems, including bone cancer, as KHOU noted:
Turner, 70, passed away early Wednesday morning in Washington, D.C., following “enduring health complications.” The former Houston mayor had battled osteosarcoma, a form of bone cancer, undergoing surgery, radiation, and reconstruction in recent years.
Cannon recalled his final text exchange with Turner, which was literally hours before his untimely death.
"I texted Sylvester Turner last night at 8:27 p.m., knowing he was at the president’s address to Congress,” Cannon said during KHOU 11’s coverage that morning. "He quickly responded within 10 minutes — he was there, working, engaged. It’s shocking to think that just hours later, he was gone."
He added, "We were talking about someone else’s declining health,” Cannon said. “And Turner reassured me, ‘I’m fine. I’m all good. The doctors cleared me.’ It’s just astounding to find out today that he’s gone.”
Cannon recalled that despite Turner's health problems, it never slowed him down and he never showed any signs of losing a step.
Even after his treatment for the dangerous cancer, Turner only missed a minimal amount of work while he was the mayor of Houston, reportedly bouncing back quickly.
"He had lost weight — he never regained it — but every time I asked him about his health, even last summer, he told me, ‘My doctors give me the green light, I’m fine, I have the energy to run,’” Cannon said
Cannon added, "He prided himself on being present,” Cannon said. “We may never know how he was really feeling because he always put up a brave front."
The KHOU anchor said that their relationship went beyond just that of a professional one.
"It doesn’t always happen in journalism, but sometimes you develop a relationship of trust with public figures," Cannon said. "Sylvester was one of those people for me."
Former President Barack Obama and his wife, Michelle Obama, continue to fuel rumors that the two are potentially headed for a divorce.
The rumors have heated up in the wake of the former first lady skipping out on several high-profile events that her husband attended alone, including President Donald Trump's inauguration and the late President Jimmy Carter's funeral.
While nothing has been confirmed, many in the business believe that the two are purposely not hanging out in public together, and some are already trying to buy the details of what's going on behind the scenes.
Barack and Michelle Obama have been married since 1992.
The number of people who believe the couple are headed for splitsville is numerous, and sources have reported that journalists and outlets are lining up to pay the Obamas big bucks to land the first post-split interview, if that's where they're headed.
One insider reportedly believes that each of the Obamas could land $10 million+ for an exclusive, post-divorce interview.
"There is going to be a real rush to bag their signatures for interviews and the figures are going to be at least $10 million and that’s each,” an insider reportedly said.
They added, "Obama recently picked up $ 1.2 million for three speeches on Wall Street, so $ 10 million to talk about his marriage and how that was conducted within the pressure cooker of the White House doesn’t seem such bad value. And Michelle will also be offered a similar amount."
The Hollywood Insider noted:
The informant went on to reveal that the interviews would likely be one of the biggest media events ever. This is because Barack and Michelle would be the first-ever former First couple to split after leaving the White House. In addition, they represent many things to the American people, many of whom have strong feelings about the Obama family.
The insider explained that major media networks are scrambling to land the interview, should the two actually split
"The interviews would be dynamite as they are the first couple to split up after being president and first lady," the insider reportedly said.
"That is a pretty big deal. The stakes are high on this one and the networks are scrambling to make sure they are not the ones who miss out on landing the Obamas."
It'll be interesting to see if they actually split and, if so, which one of them will take the money first.
Capitol Police arrested a Republican chief of staff for drunk driving shortly after President Trump's speech to Congress on Tuesday night.
Hayden Haynes, the longtime top aide to House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.), reportedly backed into a parked vehicle near the Capitol around midnight.
There were no reported injuries in the incident, which occurred shortly after Trump wrapped up his speech to a joint session of Congress. Speaker Johnson sat directly behind Trump throughout his remarks, which ran for nearly two hours.
Around 11:40 p.m. Johnson's chief of staff backed into a parked vehicle near the Capitol, police said. Haynes was given a citation to appear in court and released.
"A driver backed into a parked vehicle last night around 11:40 p.m.,” United States Capitol Police confirmed in a statement to Breitbart News. “We responded and arrested them for DUI."
Haynes has been Johnson's chief of staff since the formerly obscure Republican from Louisiana entered the spotlight with his election as Speaker in 2023.
Defending Haynes, Johnson said he has "full confidence" in his loyal aide, who has an "esteemed reputation."
"The Speaker is aware of the encounter that occurred last night involving his Chief of Staff and the Capitol Police,” spokesperson Taylor Haulsee said. “The Speaker has known and worked closely with Hayden for nearly a decade and trusted him to serve as his Chief of Staff for his entire tenure in Congress.
"Because of this and Hayden’s esteemed reputation among Members and staff alike, the Speaker has full faith and confidence in Hayden’s ability to lead the Speaker’s office.”
President Trump has pledged to clean up the nation's capital, which, like many liberal cities, has seen a spike in crime and homelessness.
Trump's new acting U.S. Attorney for the District of Columbia, Ed Martin, is launching a crackdown on gun crimes to "Make D.C. Safe Again" after violent crime rose under his leftist predecessor, former U.S. attorney Matthew Graves.
While the U.S. Attorney handles most crimes in the city, drunk driving offenses are an exception. The DUI case against Haynes will be prosecuted by a Democrat, D.C. Attorney General Brian L. Schwalb.
Meanwhile, the city began clearing tent encampments Friday after Trump threatened to intervene.
"Washington, D.C. must become CLEAN and SAFE! We want to be proud of our Great Capital again. Thank you Mayor Bowser for your efforts on behalf of the Citizens of our Country. Hopefully you will be successful!" Trump wrote in a post.
The chief of staff to House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA), Hayden Haynes, was arrested for drunk driving on Tuesday night.
The arrest came shortly after President Trump wrapped up his speech to a joint session of Congress. Johnson sat directly behind Trump throughout the boisterous address, which ran for almost two hours.
About 45 minutes after Trump was done speaking, Haynes backed into a parked vehicle near the Capitol around 11:40 p.m.
NBC News was first to report the incident.
Haynes was arrested for driving under the influence and released with a citation.
"A driver backed into a parked vehicle last night around 11:40 p.m.," the U.S. Capitol Police said in a statement to NBC News. "We responded and arrested them for DUI.”
Haynes has worked as chief of staff to Johnson for almost a decade, long before the Louisiana Republican rose from obscurity almost overnight to become the House Speaker in 2023.
The case against Haynes is being prosecuted by D.C. Attorney General Brian Schwab, a Democrat, instead of the Trump-aligned U.S. Attorney in D.C., Eric Martin. While the U.S. attorney prosecutes most crimes in the capital, DUI offenses are an exception.
Haynes' arrest came after a rowdy evening in the House chamber, as Democrats repeatedly interrupted Trump's remarks about a new "golden age" in America.
Within minutes of beginning his speech, Trump was heckled by Democrat Rep. Al Green (TX), who was then expelled by Johnson in a dramatic scene. The House formally voted to censure Green on Thursday.
Johnson, known for his mild, socially conservative demeanor, said his confidence in Haynes is intact despite his arrest.
“The Speaker is aware of the encounter that occurred last night involving his Chief of Staff and the Capitol Police,” spokesperson Taylor Haulsee said in a statement.
“The Speaker has known and worked closely with Hayden for nearly a decade and trusted him to serve as his Chief of Staff for his entire tenure in Congress,” Haulsee added. “Because of this and Hayden’s esteemed reputation among Members and staff alike, the Speaker has full faith and confidence in Hayden’s ability to lead the Speaker’s office.”
Meanwhile, Johnson affirmed his support for Haynes when asked about it directly Wednesday.
“I’ve worked with him. He’s trusted and respected. And he has my full faith and confidence,” he told Politico.