The residents of Washington, D.C., might be used to the political theater of the nation’s capital, but even they couldn’t hide their shock (and occasional laughter) when confronted with the absurdity of some government spending. In a Fox News segment featuring reactions to how taxpayer dollars are wasted, the sheer absurdity of certain expenditures left people scratching their heads—or outright chuckling.
Fox’s interviewer kicked things off with one of the more bizarre examples: a $750,000 project to determine whether Neil Armstrong said “one small step for man” or “one small step for a man” during the moon landing. As one D.C. resident put it, not only does the purpose of this study seem unnecessary, but how in the world does answering this question cost three-quarters of a million dollars?
DC Residents said they were not fans of DOGE until they learned how the government spends their tax dollars. pic.twitter.com/VLkhBuqAd1
— Insurrection Barbie (@DefiyantlyFree) December 13, 2024
And then things got weirder. A million dollars to find out if cocaine makes quail more promiscuous? That revelation left another interviewee laughing in disbelief. But the hits kept coming: $100,000 to study whether tequila or gin makes sunfish more aggressive. “Sunfish? Wow!” one incredulous resident exclaimed. It wasn’t hard to see why most people agreed this kind of spending could use serious reevaluation.
Vivek Ramaswamy, co-head of the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), believes that when people truly understand where their money is going, they’ll demand change. His partner, Elon Musk, echoed this sentiment, saying these examples barely scratch the surface of the waste. Musk emphasized that beyond just frivolous spending, there’s an even greater challenge in tackling unnecessary regulations and the unchecked power of unelected bureaucrats.
The people are with us after they realize what’s happening. It’s our job to explain it to them. https://t.co/a3uPfUr6mM
— Vivek Ramaswamy (@VivekGRamaswamy) December 14, 2024
One of the boldest ideas coming out of DOGE’s mission is the potential elimination of entire government agencies. Inspired by Argentine President Javier Milei’s reforms—where entire departments were slashed, resulting in the first fiscal surplus in over a century—DOGE is exploring similar options. Proposals range from privatizing the hemorrhaging U.S. Postal Service to cutting programs and agencies that don’t justify their cost.
And they aren’t stopping there. To keep the public informed and engaged, Ramaswamy and Musk are launching a podcast series, humorously dubbed "DOGE-casts," to shine a spotlight on waste, inefficiency, and reform initiatives. They believe consistent communication is key to rallying taxpayer support for their bold plans.
This is not even the tip of the iceberg. Taxpayers are going to be mad as hell when they learn more! https://t.co/SOLabwJ4In
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) December 14, 2024