Despicable Dems Campaign On Texas Flood Victims, Blame Trump
White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt called the Democrats’ latest nasty gambit a 'depraved lie.'White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt called the Democrats’ latest nasty gambit a 'depraved lie.'DeSantis has some serious political advice for Elon Musk to ensure a 'monumental impact'
Florida Governor Ron DeSantis (R) offered Elon Musk some political advice following the business magnate's announcement that he is starting the "America Party," a new political party Musk claims will counter the "Republican/Democrat Uniparty" amid his ongoing feud with President Donald Trump.
During a Monday afternoon press conference, DeSantis stated, "I think Elon Musk has been one of the most innovative entrepreneurs, not just in our country's history, but probably in world history. And I think he's done a lot and has a lot more left in the tank, obviously."
'If somebody as significant as Elon wants to get in the game on that, he will have a, I think, very consequential impact.'
DeSantis praised Musk for his efforts in the 2024 election and for initiating the Department of Government Efficiency, a concept that the governor has also adopted at the state level to reduce Florida's budget.
While DeSantis noted that he is "a big fan" of Musk's cost-cutting efforts, he issued a serious warning about his third-party aspirations and offered some advice.
The governor explained that a third party would likely result in Democratic candidates winning elections, particularly if Musk plans to fund Senate and House candidates in competitive races.
"As it is now, even if somehow a third party could elect some people that were so-called fiscal conservatives, I don't think it would even move the needle even if they got elected," DeSantis said. "And we know that they wouldn't get elected because it's really one of two parties, so you're either just taking votes away from one side or the other."
RELATED: 'TRAIN WRECK': Trump blasts Elon Musk over anti-MAGA campaign, new 'moderate' party
He stated that the Republican Party is facing a significant issue with political candidates making promises on the campaign trail that they do not keep once elected, particularly regarding reining in the nation's out-of-control budget.
Instead, the Florida governor argued that Musk could have a "monumental impact" on the nation if he focused on working with state legislators to add a balanced budget amendment to the United States Constitution, which he noted could be done without congressional approval.
"I don't think just electing a few better people is going to change [the nation's] trajectory," DeSantis continued. "You need to do a balanced budget amendment to the U.S. Constitution. You can do it through the states; you can do it through Article Five. We've got 28 states that have approved this. There's another four or five that are on the docket. Once you hit 34, then you write an amendment, and then the states are able to ratify that."
RELATED: The political future of Elon Musk
The governor also called for Musk to push for term limits for members of Congress.
DeSantis stated that he is confident Musk would be successful in implementing these changes.
"That is achievable. And especially, if somebody as significant as Elon wants to get in the game on that, he will have a, I think, very consequential impact on that, and I think would be just the type that could bring this across the finish line," DeSantis remarked.
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Feds waste billions keeping ancient tech on life support
The federal government’s bloated, outdated information systems have finally come under scrutiny. On his first day in office, President Trump signed a series of executive orders to cut waste and boost efficiency. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth has reinforced that mandate, spending his first 100 days reviewing the Pentagon “from top to bottom to ensure that we're getting more, faster, better, and more efficient.”
Earlier this month, Hegseth announced that in partnership with the Department of Government Efficiency, officials had uncovered $5.1 billion in savings — “and that's just the beginning.” That’s a good start. But if the DOGE hopes to prove its worth, it must confront the federal government’s disastrous record on IT spending and performance.
Companies should not have to wade through red tape at every agency — or even within the same agency — to deploy new solutions.
It can’t happen fast enough. A staggering 80% of the annual $100 billion IT spending goes to maintaining decades-old systems. According to the Government Accountability Office, “The older the systems are, the more the upkeep costs — and older systems are more vulnerable to hackers.”
Not only is outdated software expensive to maintain, but it also poses a significant vulnerability for our government — and that is particularly dangerous when it comes to national defense.
The Trump administration should make it a top priority to modernize federal IT infrastructure while also addressing how we got such a dysfunctional IT infrastructure in the first place.
Targeting outdated regulations
In today’s AI world, government agencies cannot adapt to the most innovative and efficient technology when burdened with regulations often written before the internet even existed.
The Department of Defense is a prime example. The U.S. military buys IT systems in a ridiculously bureaucratic fashion. It takes years and millions of dollars for a company — regardless of size — to get its software approved just to pitch a product to the department. When time and money are of the essence, the only firms that can wade through the red tape are big, entrenched companies with lawyers and lobbyists to throw at outdated rules.
RELATED: How DEI took a sledgehammer to the US military’s war ethos
This procurement model directly clashes with how the private sector works. In the business world, innovators attract investment quickly. The Pentagon, by contrast, consistently favors large, well-connected firms over smaller companies and startups. Promising new technologies get ignored.
It’s the defense contractor model over the SpaceX model — and we’re paying the price.
Streamlining the regulators
Fixing the rules isn’t enough. We need to fix the people who enforce them. Right now, overlapping Defense Department bureaucracies oversee the procurement and deployment of new technology. A single point of contact — with one set of rules — would reduce red tape and create a unified standard for the department to follow.
That standard should reach beyond the Defense Department. Companies shouldn’t have to navigate a maze of conflicting rules across agencies — or even within the same agency — just to deploy new solutions. Procurement reform, including better training and clearer rules, must be a core part of the DOGE’s mission.
Last year’s National Defense Authorization Act made some progress, but much more still needs to be done.
Falling behind on technological modernization in defense is not just an economic disadvantage but a threat to national security. As the DOGE takes a much-needed axe to inflated government spending, let’s make sure we also cut burdensome regulations that hinder innovation and improvement. We must unleash the power of American innovation to equip our military with the finest tools — otherwise, our enemies will beat us to it.
House Republicans reveal true feelings on possible $5,000 DOGE checks
House Republicans responded to the idea that money saved from federal cuts could be passed down to the taxpayer.
The money would come via cuts recommended by the Department of Government Efficiency under Elon Musk, which included savings from programs under USAID and the Treasury Department.
First proposed by investment CEO James Fishback, the "DOGE Dividend" checks would total $5,000 and be "sent to every taxpayer," Fishback wrote on X.
'We kind of got in the situation that we’re in by just sending checks to people.'
However, when approached for comment regarding the possibility of sending the refund checks to the taxpayer, at least five Republican members of Congress shot down the idea, with one even claiming it could cause inflation.
Rep. Mark Harris (R-N.C.) said checks to the public were specifically the problem, not the solution.
"We kind of got in the situation that we're in by just sending checks to people, and we got a $36 trillion debt headed toward 37 rapidly," Harris told the Daily Signal. "It's going to make far more sense for any savings that we find to make sure that we get that debt under control, bend that curve, and make sure that we get our country on a really fiscally sound financial footing."
Rep. Bill Huizenga (R-Mich.) answered similarly, saying the latest Republican budget is actually the answer the taxpayer seeks.
"The 'big, beautiful bill' will be stimulative on its own," Huizenga told the Daily Signal.
The congressman stated that the "additional cash infusion to folks ... could potentially be inflationary."
However, given that the DOGE cuts would be money that was already allocated and, in most cases, being spent, it is unclear how that would happen.
Huizenga added, "To me, with $36 trillion in debt, the most responsible thing that we can do is apply that" to the massive deficit.
RELATED: White House works to send DOGE cuts package to Congress
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Rep. Mike Cloud, (R-Tex.), Sen. Mike Lee (R-Utah), and Rep. Ashley Hinson (R-Iowa) all told the Daily Signal that paying down the deficit was more important then sending out checks.
"What we can do, and President Trump's great at this, is find creative ways to grow the economy and grow our way out of this while we get a hold of in Congress our federal spending that's way out of hand, to get rid of our spending addiction," Cloud told the outlet.
"Let's focus on tackling our $36 trillion debt, while also helping hardworking Americans prosper by making the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act permanent and spending less of their tax dollars," Lee told the Daily Signal.
"DOGE savings coupled with tax cuts will ensure Iowans and Americans can keep more of their hard-earned money in their pockets while also restoring fiscal sanity and addressing deficit spending," Hinson said to the Daily Signal.
RELATED: Elon Musk formally departs from DOGE following a tumultuous tenure
Reporter Elizabeth Troutman Mitchell, who spoke with the Republicans, told Blaze News that the sources she spoke to "would love to give money back to the taxpayer" but are more focused on debt spending.
"They believe the best way to put more money in the wallets of taxpayers is to reduce the national debt."
On June 6, Fishback wrote an update on his X page, saying the savings Musk promised the federal government did not come to fruition.
"The truth is that Elon set expectations that he relayed to the President, me, and the country that he did not come close to fulfilling."
The investor still said he was proud of his proposal and that he intended to work with the Donald Trump administration to "return savings to taxpayers."
On June 7, USA Today claimed that any DOGE dividend would actually be delivered on a per-eligible-household basis, which includes only those who pay more taxes than they get back.
USA Today said lower-income Americans would not qualify for the return.
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How Rand Paul Can Seize A Golden Opportunity To Cut Federal Waste
Fiscal conservatives on Capitol Hill are right to raise concerns about the rising federal debt and unsustainable deficit spending. But voting no is not enough.Today's top stories
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