Steve Bannon wastes no time responding to the latest DOGE (Department of Government Efficiency) shake-up. Following Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth’s announcement that theDepartment of Defense (DoD) will undergo a full-scale audit, Bannon took toWarRoomon Friday to emphasize the urgency of DOGE leader Elon Musk, tackling government waste starting right now—and starting with the military budget.
"You’re not going to fix everything overnight, but you’ve got to get south of the Potomac to get over there and start looking now. That’s where you’re going to find opportunities to actually cut spending,” Bannon said, with his eyes on government contractors.
Bannon, who has spent the week urging Musk to scrutinize Pentagon spending, sees the DoD audit as a pivotal moment for budget reform. Speaking with WarRoom host Dave Brat on the Friday afternoon show, he emphasized that cutting Pentagon spending is crucial to the broader fiscal responsibility he has long championed as a cornerstone of President Trump’s America First agenda.
But Musk seemed to be dragging his feet about getting out of USAID and over to the Pentagon.
The advice from Bannon was clear: serious budget reform starts with the DoD. Bannon’s push for Musk’s involvement signals a significant shift in how the incoming Trump administration plans to handle military spending. "This is the fight,” Bannon declared, "you want to cut discretionary spending? You want to get control of Social Security and Medicare? First, you’ve got to tackle the Pentagon,” he added.
Watch the conversation from Friday’s WarRoom:
Jack Posobiec On Cutting Government Spending At The DOD: "Get The Rot Out"@JackPosobiecpic.twitter.com/by1ApUGAlp
— Bannon’s WarRoom (@Bannons_WarRoom)February 7, 2025
Hegseth commented on Friday afternoon that President Trump had authorized a full audit of his department.
"We are going to focus heavily to ensure that at a bare minimum, by the end of four years, the Pentagon passes a clean audit,” Hegseth stated, setting the stage for what could be the most thorough financial examination of the DoD in history,” Hegseth told his military audience.
Bannon has praised Musk’s efforts so far, particularly his work exposing corruption in USAID, calling it "fantastic.” However, he has urged Musk to go further—shifting his focus to cutting government spending, starting with the military. While supportive of DOGE’s efforts, Bannon believes deeper reforms are needed.
Bannon’s urgency stems from the approaching March 14 budget deadline, where he sees little political will to make real spending cuts. With a government shutdown or another continuing resolution (CR) looming, Bannon has warned that Washington will once again kick the can down the road without serious action.
Watch these comments from Bannon from earlier on Friday about those concerns:
Steve Bannon: "There Is No Political Will To Cut Federal Spending.”pic.twitter.com/qIxeuUNwCL
— Bannon’s WarRoom (@Bannons_WarRoom)February 7, 2025
"Elon’s been avoiding this because it’s massive,” Bannon said on Friday about why he believes Musk is avoiding the defense budget.
"That is where the real corruption and incompetence are baked into the system. The Pentagon is theMack Daddyof government waste,”Bannon said.
Bannon emphasized again that Musk must now "cross the Potomac” and bring his expertise to uncover inefficiencies and unnecessary expenditures that have long plagued the departments at the Pentagon.
With a $2 trillion deficit already embedded in the budget, Bannon warned the WarRoom audience that Democrats are maneuvering to force Trump into a government shutdown. "They’re digging in for the March 14 deadline,” he explained. "They want to back Trump into a corner. If we’re serious about cutting spending, we have to start with the Pentagon.”
Jack Posobiec, a frequentWarRoomguest, chimed in on the discussion, calling the Pentagon’s budget "a jobs program” that benefits career bureaucrats and politicians.
"A lot of depots could be shut down, but they’re tied to every congressman’s job numbers and political performance,” Posobiec told Brat.
Posobiec also pointed to top-ranking military officials prioritizing "woke policies” over national defense, contributing to inefficiency and mission drift.
Bannon agreed, reinforcing that Trump’s strategy is a necessary first step. "We’ve got Pete Hegseth over there reinstilling the warrior ethos and fighting spirit. Now, Elon’s got to get in there with his team and start cutting the fat. This isn’t about weakening national security—it’s about eliminating waste.”
With the audit officially underway and Musk now in the mix at the Pentagon addressing government contracts, all eyes will be on how deep this financial review goes—and whether it results in actual cuts to Washington’s entrenched spending habits.
© 2023 WarRoom
© 2023 WarRoom
