Warrior Ethos vs. Taxpayer Reality: The Pentagon's Waste Paradox

In this eye-opening episode of Budget Watchdog All Federal, host Steve Ellis sits down with TCS Policy Analyst Gabe Murphy to dissect President Trump's recent executive order on "Modernizing Defense Acquisitions." Despite promising language about cutting Pentagon waste, Murphy reveals how this order actually undermines transparency and accountability. The conversation exposes the stunning contrast between rhetoric and reality: while the Pentagon struggles to identify even $80 million in waste from its $850 billion budget, the administration simultaneously pushes for a trillion-dollar defense budget. Ellis and Murphy break down the alarming expansion of "commercial solutions" designation, problematic weapons systems like the F-35 fighter and Sentinel ICBM, and the parallel assault on acquisition regulations. This essential episode offers taxpayers a clear-eyed view of how the Pentagon's wasteful spending persists despite promises of reform.