JOTION JESS PENTAGON’S BUDGET
MORE THAT CHINA, SAUDI ARABIA,
JAPAN, SOUTH KOREA COMBINED.
WE GAVE OUR MILITARY ALMOST A
TRILLION DOLLARS A YEAR.
SO WHERE DOES THE MONEY GO?
WELL, THE ANSWER IS WE DON’T
KNOW NEITHER DOES THE PENTAGON.
LLOYD AUSTIN NUMBER TWO WAS
ASKED ABOUT THIS BY COMEDIAN JON
STEWART AND SHE GOT ALL
FRAZZLED, LISTEN.
>> DO YOU FEEL LIKE THESE ARE
UNFAIR QUESTIONS OF SOMEONE
WITHIN A DEPARTMENT OF THAT
SKIES AND SCOPE.
>> I THINK YOU HAVE A PARTICULAR
THING YOU REALLY WANT TO TALK
ABOUT AND YOU ARE ASKING ME
OTHER QUESTIONS BUT I DON’T
THINK IT’S UNFAIR TO ASK ME
ABOUT THE AUDIT.
IT’S ABSOLUTELY THE CASE THAT
THE UNITED STATES MILITARY
SHOULD BE ABLE TO PASS AN AUDIT
AND WE HAVE GOT TO BE ON THAT
PATHWAY TO GET THERE.
>> DON’T YOU THINK THAT THAT
DOES SPEAK TO THE LARGER POINT
THAT WE ARE TRYING TO GET AT
WHICH IS GOOD JOURNALISM
UNCOVERS CORRUPTION?
>> OKAY.
I MEAN, GOOD JOURNALISM DOES
UNCOVER CORRUPTION BUT I’M NOT
SURE THESE TWO THINGS ARE LINKED
AND AUDIT --
>> OH, BUT THEY ARE.
>> Jesse: SECOND MOST POWERFUL
PERSON IN BIDEN’S DEFENSE
DEPARTMENT AND SHE IS A MESS.
THE MILITARY ALMOST NEVER GETS
AUDITED BUT, WHEN THEY DO, THEY
FAIL WITH FLYING COLORS.
OUR MILITARY HAS ONLY BEEN
AUDITED FIVE TIMES EVER.
AND JUST LAST YEAR THEY FAILED
THEIR AUDITED FOR THE FIFTH
TIME.
THE MILITARY IS WINLESS IN
AUDITS AND UNDEFEATED IN WORLD
WARS BUT WE HAVEN’T WON ONE OF
THOSE IN A WHILE.
MAYBE THIS IS WHY.
THE PENTAGON TOLD THE IRS THEY
COULDN’T ACCOUNT FOR OVER 60% OF
THEIR ASSETS.
THAT MEANS WEAPON SYSTEMS,
BUILDINGS, FUNDING, THEY EITHER
DON’T KNOW WHERE THE MONEY WENT
OR THEY DON’T WANT TO KNOW.
OR THEY DO KNOW WHERE THE MONEY
WENT AND THEY DON’T WANT US TO
KNOW.
WHAT WOULD HAPPEN IF YOU TOLD
THE IRS SORRY, GUYS, I DON’T
REALLY KNOW WHERE MORE THAN HALF
MY INCOME CAME FROM LAST YEAR?
IT WOULD PROBABLY GO SOMETHING
LIKE THIS.
>> DO YOU UNDERSTAND WHAT AN
AUDIT DOES AND THE DEGREE IT’S
LINKED TO THE QUESTION YOU ARE
ASKING.
>> THE AUDIT THAT THEY HAVE IN
THE MILITARY ACCIDENT REALLY
LOOK AT WHETHER OR NOT THERE IS
EFFICACY.
JUST WHETHER THEY GOT DELIVERED
THE THING THAT THEY ORDERED AND.
>> THAT IS ANY AUDIT THAT IS ANY
AUDIT.
THAT IS TRUE.
>> BUT GENERALLY THOSE AUDITS
AREN’T $400 BILLION FOR RATED I
DON’T KNOW AND $1.7 TRILLION FOR
A PLANE THAT DOESN’T SEEM TO BE
DOING.
LIKE THERE IS A LOT OF WASTE,
FRAUD AND ABUSE WITHIN A SYSTEM.
>> AUDITS AND WASTE FRAUD AND
ABUSE ARE NOT THE SAME THING.
DECOMPOSE.
>> PLEASE EDUCATE ME ON THE
DIFFERENCE.
>> AUDIT IS EXACTLY WHAT YOU
JUST DESCRIBED WHICH IS DO I
KNOW WHAT WAS DELIVERED TO WHICH
PLACE?
>> RIGHT.
THE.
>> ABILITY TO PASS AN AUDIT OR
THE FACT THAT THE DID.
OD HAS NOT PASSED AN AUDIT IS
NOT SUBJECTIVE OF WASTE, SUBJECT
FRAUD AND ABUSE.
>> NUMBER TWO IN THE DEFENSE
DEPARTMENT NOT KNOWING WHERE
HALF HER BUDGET GOES ISN’T
WASTEFUL AND ISN’T FRAUD.
NOTHING SO SEE HERE?
MINI MADOFF HANDLES MONEY BETTER
THAN THE PENTAGON.
>> IF I GIVE YOU A BILLION
DOLLARS AND YOU CAN’T TELL ME
WHAT HAPPENED TO IT, THAT, TO
ME, IS WASTEFUL.
THAT MEANS YOU ARE NOT
RESPONSIBLE.
BUT IF YOU CAN’T TELL ME WHERE
IT WENT THEN WHAT AM I SUPPOSED
TO THINK?
AND WHEN THERE HAS BEEN
REPORTING.
THIS IS NOT -- LOOK, I’M NOT
SAYING THIS IS ON YOU.
AND THAT YOU CAUSED THIS, BUT I
THINK IT’S A TOUGH ARGUMENT.
>> I’M PRETTY SURE I DIDN’T
CAUSE IT.
[LAUGHTER]
>> $850 BILLION BUDGETS TO AN
ORGANIZATION THAT CAN’T PASS AN
AUDIT AND TELL YOU WHERE THAT
MONEY WENT LIKE I THINK MOST
PEOPLE WOULD CONSIDER THAT
SOMEWHERE IN THE REALM OF WASTE,
FRAUD, OR ABUSE.
BECAUSE THEY WOULD WONDER WHY
THAT MONEY ISN’T WELL ACCOUNTED
FOR.
>> Jesse: WE GIVE THE GOVERNMENT
ALMOST A TRILLION DOLLARS A YEAR
TO KEEP US SAFE AND THEY DON’T
KNOW WHERE THE MONEY WENT.
SOMEONE IS GETTING RICH.
AND WE CAN’T EVEN STOP A SPY
BALLOON?
FLORIDA SENATOR MARCO RUBIO IS
VICE CHAIR OF THE SENATE
INTELLIGENCE COMMITTEE AND HE
JOINS US NOW.
SENATOR, DO YOU HAVE ANY IDEA
WHERE THE MONEY GOES?
>> WELL, THE GENERAL IDEA WHERE
THEY SAY THE MONEY GOES.
WE HAVE A BRINGING PROBLEM IN
THIS COUNTRY NOT JUST HOW THE
MONEY SOMETHING SPENT.
WE ARE STRUGGLING TO MAKE THESE
THINGS.
TELLS YOU IN ADDITION TO ALL THE
MONEY THAT’S BEING POURED INTO
ALL THE MILITARY.
WE HAVE A MILITARY INDUSTRIAL
BASE THAT’S COMPLETELY BROKEN.
I MEAN, IT’S ONE OF THE THINGS
THEY HAVEN’T EVEN TOLD YOU IT’S
BECOME SO CONCENTRATED IN THE
HANDS OF FOUR OR FIVE PROVIDERS.
REALLY ONLY THREE OR FOUR
COMPANIES IN THE WORLD THAT DO
THIS STUFF.
THAT’S BEEN THE CASE FOR YEARS.
VERY LITTLE COMPETITION ON THESE
CONTRACTS.
THEY CAN VIRTUALLY ALMOST CHARGE
US ANYTHING THEY WANT.
THE ISSUE ABOUT NOT HAVING THE
INVENTORY.
I HEARD THAT FOR THE FIRST TIME
A MONTH AND A HALF AGO.
I WAS STUNNED I COULDN’T BELIEVE
THEY COULDN’T ACCOUNT APPARENTLY
NOT THE INVENTORY OF WHERE THE
ALL THE THINGS WE BOUGHT.
REAL ESTATE HOLDINGS, WHAT ARE
UNDER THE DEPARTMENT OF
DEFENSE’S CONTROL.
IT’S.
>> Jesse: THEY LOST TRACK OF THE
BUILDINGS THEY OWN.
>> CAN YOU REALLY SPEND A
TRILLION DOLLARS A YEAR AND
ACTUALLY DO IT IN A WAY THAT’S
EFFECTIVE AND BY THE WAY ACROSS
MULTIPLE BRANCHES.
NOT JUST THE PENTAGON.
ALL THESE DIFFERENT BRANCHES.
I WOULD SAY ONE OF THE KEY
THINGS THAT WE NEED TO HAVE AN
ANSWER TO IS NOT SIMPLY HOW THE
MONEY SOMETHING SPENT AND SO
FORTH.
ARE WE SPENDING IT -- DOES OUR
NEEDS FOR THE COUNTRY IN ANY WAY
REFLECT HOW THE MONEY IS BEING
SPENT?
WHATEVER OUR MILITARY STRATEGY
IS, THE SPENDING HAS TO REFLECT
THAT SOMEHOW AND YOU CAN’T KNOW
THAT WITHOUT TRANSPARENCY.
>> Jesse: IF THE CHINESE FLOAT
LIKE $100 BALLOON THAT’S SPYING
ON US AND WE CAN’T POP IT.
BUT WE HAVE A TRILLION DOLLARS
F-35 PLANE THAT DOESN’T EVER GET
OFF THE GROUND, LIKE WHAT GOOD
IS THAT WEAPON SYSTEM DOING?
IS IT JUST MAKING THE DEFENSE
CONTRACTORS RICH AND NOT KEEPING
US SAFE?
COMES DOWN TO THEY APPROVE.
THEY PUT OUT A NEED.
WE NEED A NEED FOR A NEXT
GENERATION FIGHTER, RIGHT?
THEY PUT OUT THE BID.
MAYBE ONLY ONE OR TWO COMPANIES
RESPOND TO IT AND THEN YOU START
BUILDING IT.
OFTENTIMES IN THE PROCESS OF
DEVELOPING IT, THEY WILL COME
BACK AND SAY THIS IS GOING TO
COST MORE THAN WE THOUGHT WHEN
WE PUT THAT BID OUT.
WHEN WE OFFERED THAT BID.
WE ARE GOING TO HAVE TO INCREASE
THE PRICE.
IF YOU DON’T FUND IT OR PAY FOR
IT. YOU ARE AGAINST NATIONAL
SECURITY OR NATIONAL DEFENSE.
PART OF IT REALLY COMES DOWN TO
THE FACT THERE IS ONLY FOUR OR
FIVE COMPANIES THAT DO THIS
WORK.
WITHOUT COMPETITION IN ANY FIELD
SUFFER BOTH IN QUALITY AND
OBVIOUSLY IN PRICING.
>> Jesse: IT’S CORRUPT.
OVER THE WEEKEND CHINA, TAIWAN,
ARE WE ON A COLLISION COURSE
HERE?
IT SEEMS LIKE EVERYONE IS
GETTING REAL UPSET -- EVERYONE
IS GETTING REAL WORKED UP ABOUT
THE PACIFIC SITUATION.
ARE WE EVEN GOING TO BE ABLE TO
CALM THIS THING DOWN, SENATOR?
>> WELL, IF WE GET IN TROUBLE
THERE, APPARENTLY MACRON DOESN’T
WANT TO HELP US.
I DON’T KNOW IF YOU READ THAT
OVER THE WEEKEND.
HE SAID THAT FRANCE AND EUROPE
SHOULD WALK AWAY FROM THE UNITED
STATES AND SAVE US A BUNCH OF
MONEY BY THE WAY THAT THING IS
GOING TO GET BAD.
NO WAY TO FINISH DECADE WITHOUT
CHINA TAIWAN.
PREACHER TO DEAL WITHOUT
MILITARY.
HAVE TAIWAN SURRENDER.
STOP PRETENDING WE ARE NOT
HEADING TOWARDS SOMETHING THERE.
I THINK WE ARE.
IF THEY WERE TO TAKE TAIWAN NOT
JUST ABOUT THE SMALL LITTLE
ISLAND OFF THE COAST OF CHINA.
THAT GIVES THEM EFFECTIVE
CONTROL OVER ALL OF THE EASTERN
PARK OR THE EAST ASIA.
70% OF GLOBAL COMMERCE.
THEY COULD LITERALLY JUST SHUT
US DOWN.
THEY COULD CLAMP DOWN AND CLOSE
DOWN OUR ECONOMY.
LIKE COVID TIMES 50.
I WOULD BE A STRATEGIC MAJOR
MOMENT IN WORLD HISTORY NOT A
GOOD ONE FOR AMERICA.
>> Jesse: MAYBE YOU SHOULD BE
SECRETARY OF STATE INSTEAD OF
BLINKEN.
THROTTLING INTO WAR IN THE
PACIFIC AND BLINKSEN IS OUT TO
LUNCH.
I WILL GIVE YOU THE LAST WORD.
>> HOPEFULLY HE IS OUT TO LUNCH
SOMEWHERE IN ASIA.
THAT’S WHERE WE NEED TO BE
FOCUSED ON BUILDING ALLIANCES
WITH JAPAN AND SOUTH KOREA AND
ALL THESE COUNTRY WANT TO BE
HELPFUL.
JAPANESE ARE VERY CAPABLE.
AUSTRALIANS AS WELL.
NOT TO BE US ALONE.
ALL THE COUNTRIES HAVE AN
INTEREST THERE.
WE NEED TO TAKE THAT SERIOUSLY.
I’M CONCERNED ABOUT JOE BIDEN.
IF I WERE THE CHINESE -- IF I
WERE THE CHINESE AND JOE BIDEN
IS THE 39, THEY ARE TRYING TO
FIGURE OUT WE NEED TO COULD THIS
WHILE THAT GUY IS STILL THERE.