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DOGE-ing toward the best Department of Defense ever

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President Trump and Defense Secretary Hegseth have made it very clear. The United States will have the best Military in the world, bar none.  This goal is being established to deter and prevent conflict, not start it, slip into it, or perpetuate it.  The President and Secretary of Defense have also said we will grow the military and also cut inefficient spending.  This message is not an oxymoron – with the DOGE raids on other departments, the horror stories of fraud, waste, and abuse are far worse than we thought.

In one of his first public comments on the impending arrival of DOGE to DOD, Secretary Hegseth made it clear that attacking fraud, waste, and abuse would happen on a scale never before seen in the notoriously inefficient DOD.  Secretary Hegseth said that DOGE is “here, and they’re going to be incorporated into what we’re doing at DOD to find fraud, waste and abuse in the largest discretionary budget in the federal government,”.  The Secretary said full system access would be given to DOGE, “with proper safeguards and classifications” to ensure redundancies are identified, eliminated, and that non-core priorities and activities would relentlessly be ridden from the DOD.  Secretary Hegseth said, “With DOGE, we are focusing as much as we can on headquarters and fat and top-line stuff that allows us to reinvest elsewhere”

Appointing the best Military Leadership

In the tradition of “Plucking”, which has ample legal and historic precedent, a whole new slate of uniformed and career Senior Executives are needed across the DOD.  Although spending close to $1 Trillion a year, the situation is dire.  The bases look shabby, the number of aircraft, ships, and missiles is shrinking, deterrence is failing, and until the election of Donald J. Trump, there was a recruiting and retention crisis.  It all begins with leadership and many need to go.  The initial top five list of firings could include:

General “C.Q.” Brown (Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff):  The Pentagon has run aground, and the Skipper is always relieved in these situations (as the Captain of the U.S.S. Truman just experienced).  General Brown has been front and center in promoting the toxic and cancerous DEI culture and that culture has been fired by Secretary of Defense Hegseth, hence General Brown’s services are no longer needed.

Admiral Lisa Franchetti (Chief of Naval Operations):  The Navy should be the lead service in building deterrence to China.  Yes, the Navy had a perfect badminton score in the two large missile attacks by Iran on Israel and the Houthis in the Red Sea, but the Navy is in bad shape.  The ship numbers are dwindling, collisions are occurring, the Navy is shooting down its own aircraft, use of autonomy is lethargic, and there is more rust than paint on most Navy ships.  The once mighty U.S. Navy is a shadow of what it was.  Admiral Franchetti has DEI roots, time for a new Skipper.

General Randy George (Army Chief of Staff):  The Army needs to radically transform into a new, smaller force structure and needs fresh leadership to conduct this process.  The term, “Transform” has routinely been used by Army leadership.  “Transform” usually means a perpetuation of stodgy, passive aggressive behavior to shield the traditional Army structure from cuts.  Those days are gone, and new leadership is needed.  The Army may shrink drastically and even transfer entire units to the Navy and Air Force; traditional Army think will fight this tooth and nail.  Sergeant Major of the Army Michael R. Weimer has shown distinct leadership and may serve well as acting or permanent Army Chief of Staff.

General David W. Allvin (Air Force Chief of Staff):  The Air Force will be the key partner with Navy as deterrence is built in the Western Pacific.  The Air Force needs to disperse, harden, and camouflage post haste while building force structure with pervasive autonomy and AI.  New leadership is needed to do this with alacrity.

All the uppity O6s who mouthed off with Woke, DEI, and Trump Derangement Syndrome Blather:  Colonel Christina Bembenek, current Commander of the 66th Military Intelligence Brigade in Germany is a poster child for this behavior.  She and others were coddled and encouraged in their hateful virtue signaling.  Time for them to go before a retention board before they are forced out.

Schwacking the Overhead

When I started on the Office of the Secretary of Defense Staff, I had one person working for me.  When I left, I had up to 75 personnel on my staff.  I felt far more effective with three to five sharp staffers than with 50 to 75 (and most of thm were well above average).  Most uniformed or civilian bureaucrats learn the gameplay really quick.  More staff and more funding means more success and prestige, ergo, grow everything no matter what the question.  Get a new task?  Demand more staff and resources.  Those days are over.

The deepest part of the Deep State in the National Security World are the Federally Funded Research and Development Centers (FFRDCs).  In theory, they were supposed to work the hard, technical problem sets.  Unfortunately, they have become the jobs program to employ Democrats when they are out of office.  I can say this as a material witness for six years while with one FFRDC.  The big three are Mitre, Rand, and The Aerospace Corporation.  Billions can be saved downsizing these organizations that are overflowing from the C-Suites with woke ideology which clouds their thinking and thus outcomes.

Eliminating the dysfunction of the Acquisition Process

Even the layperson knows the Department of Defense Acquisition Process is broken.  The high religion of dysfunction within DOD has been the Joint Capabilities Integration and Development System (JCIDS).  This is the insane system that transforms requirements into programs that are supposed to deliver aircraft, ships, tanks, etc.  Since the end of World War II, this process has brought the outcome of yesterday’s solutions, delivered tomorrow, at unaffordable costs to a venerated high art form.

The Hudson Institute has bravely stepped forward and instead of the tired “let’s reform it” gibberish, they put it very simply, “burn it down” and start over.  Having had to participate in the torture of JCIDS for 100s of meetings, no question JCIDS has to be eliminated.  The spectacle of this process was little different than the bloodshed of the Roman Coliseum or the chaos of Wipeout USA.  President Trump and Secretary Hegseth are correct.  We can build a far bigger and better Military with far less.

All viewpoints are personal and do not reflect the viewpoints of any organization.

The post DOGE-ing toward the best Department of Defense ever appeared first on The Gateway Pundit.

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ALIVE: Pope Francis Makes Surprise First Public Appearance During Sunday Mass in St. Peter’s Square After Long Hospital Stay

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April 7, 2025

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The faithful assembled in Vatican’s St. Peter’s Square for the Sunday Mass celebrating the Jubilee were pleasantly surprised by the unannounced appearance by an ailing Pope Francis, in his first public appearance since being discharged from the hospital two weeks ago.

Still weak after his grueling five-week treatment for double pneumonia, Francis entered the Square in a wheelchair to greet the cheering crowd.

Francis hadn’t been seen in public since a short greeting before leaving Rome’s Gemelli hospital on March 23, following the most serious health crisis of his 12-year papacy.

Reuters reported:

“The pope, in a previously unannounced move, came out to the square shortly before noon at the end of the celebration of a Mass for the Catholic Church’s Jubilee year.

Coming in front of the main altar for the service in bright sunshine, Francis waved to the crowds, before speaking briefly.

‘Happy Sunday to everyone’, the pope said, speaking in a rail voice while receiving oxygen via a small hose under his nose. ‘Thank you so much’.”

Today’s mass may have held a particular meaning for Francis as it was a special Jubilee celebration in honor of the sick and the healthcare workers.

“In a written message released by the Vatican shortly after noon, Francis said he had felt God’s closeness during his time in hospital.

‘I ask the Lord that this touch of his love might reach all those who suffer and encourage those who are taking care of them’, said the text.”

With Easter Sunday just two weeks away, it’s unclear how (or if) the pope will participate in public ceremonies, as doctors have prescribed Francis with a two-month period of rest at his Vatican residence.

Read more:

Pope Francis’ Health Situation Was at One Point So Dire That Doctors Contemplated Stopping the Treatment and ‘Letting Him Die in Peace’

The post ALIVE: Pope Francis Makes Surprise First Public Appearance During Sunday Mass in St. Peter’s Square After Long Hospital Stay appeared first on The Gateway Pundit.

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IRS Prepares to Cut Workforce by 25%

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2 hours ago

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April 7, 2025

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Photo credit: depositphotos.com

On Friday, the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) began the process of cutting its workforce by at least 25%.

In addition to the layoffs, the agency will also eliminate its Office of Civil Rights and Compliance.

In an email sent to employees on Friday, the agency noted that the reductions will “be implemented in phases” and employees will be offered early retirement incentives beginning next week.

Fox News reports:

“This action is being taken to increase the efficiency and effectiveness of the IRS in accordance with agency priorities and the Workforce Optimization Initiative outlined in a recent Executive Order,” the letter states, referring to President Donald Trump‘s executive order directing the Department of Government Efficiency to get rid of wasteful spending.

The agency said it was approved to offer Voluntary Early Retirement Authority (VERA) and Voluntary Separation Incentive Payment (VSIP). Information about those programs will be shared with employees at a later date, the message said.

“This calendar year to date, approximately 5% of this office left through the Deferred Resignation Program and attrition,” the message said. “An additional 75% of the office will be reduced through a RIF (Reduction in Force).”

In March, President Trump announced the firing of 6,000 IRS workers, the majority of whom were hired by the Biden Regime.

The cuts are in sharp contrast to the Biden administration’s efforts to grow the already bloated agency by 88,000 new agents to target the middle class.

The Gateway Pundit reported that during the Biden regime, last month the IRS threatened to go after individuals or organizations that questioned Joe Biden or the federal government’s “ability to govern.”

The post IRS Prepares to Cut Workforce by 25% appeared first on The Gateway Pundit.

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Trump Was Right: More than 50 Countries Have Already Contacted White House to Negotiate Trade and Tariffs

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April 7, 2025

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Director of the National Economic Council, Kevin Hassett, says 50 countries have already reached out to the Trump administration to renegotiate their trade deals with the US.

On Sunday morning, Kevin Hassett, the Director of the National Economic Council, joined This Week on ABC to discuss Trump’s tariffs.

Hassett told This Week that over 50 countries have reached out to the Trump White renegotiate their trade agreements with the US thanks to President Trump’s tough stand.

This shows Trump’s tariff’s plan in already working.

Kevin Hassett:  I got a report from the USDR last night that more than 50 countries have reached out to the President to begin a negotiation.  But they’re doing that because they understand that they bear a lot of the tariff. And so, I don’t think that you’re going to see a big effect on the consumer in the US, because I do think that the reason why we have a persistent long-run trade deficit is these people have very inelastic supply.

They’ve been dumping goods into the country in order to create jobs, say, in China.

Via This Week on ABC News.

On Wednesday, President Trump signed an executive order imposing reciprocal tariffs on dozens of countries.

Gateway Pundit contributor Antonio Graceffo reported on President Trump’s courageous and common-sense move. Democrats have criticized President Trump’s tariffs, arguing that they lead to price increases that disadvantage American workers. While tariffs can contribute to higher prices, they also benefit American workers.

Firstly, revenue generated from tariffs contributes to the government’s operating fund, potentially offsetting expenses that would otherwise be covered by income taxes. This additional revenue has opened discussions about tax relief measures, such as removing income tax from overtime pay or tips.

Tariffs can reduce the need for subsidies by leveling the playing field for American producers competing against heavily subsidized foreign imports. A good example is agriculture.

In less than one week, more than 50 countries have reached out to the White House to begin trade talks, Kevin Hassett, a top economic adviser to U.S. President Donald Trump said on Sunday.

TGP’s Ben Kew on Saturday listed a number of countries already reaching out to the Trump Administration.

Here is an initial list of countries and the tariffs Trump has imposed on their products entering the US.

Country Tariffs Charged to the U.S.A. U.S.A. Discounted Reciprocal Tariffs
Argentina 10% 10%
Australia 10% 10%
Bangladesh 74% 37%
Botswana 74% 37%
Brazil 10% 10%
Cambodia 97% 49%
Chile 10% 10%
China 67% 34%
Colombia 10% 10%
Costa Rica 17% 10%
Côte d’Ivoire 41% 21%
Dominican Republic 10% 10%
Ecuador 12% 10%
Egypt 10% 10%
El Salvador 10% 10%
European Union 39% 20%
Guatemala 10% 10%
Honduras 10% 10%
India 52% 26%
Indonesia 64% 32%
Israel 33% 17%
Japan 46% 24%
Jordan 40% 20%
Kazakhstan 54% 27%
Laos 95% 48%
Madagascar 93% 47%
Malaysia 47% 24%
Morocco 10% 10%
Myanmar (Burma) 88% 44%
New Zealand 20% 10%
Nicaragua 36% 18%
Norway 30% 15%
Pakistan 58% 29%
Peru 10% 10%
Philippines 34% 17%
Saudi Arabia 10% 10%
Serbia 74% 37%
Singapore 10% 10%
South Africa 60% 30%
South Korea 50% 25%
Sri Lanka 88% 44%
Switzerland 61% 31%
Taiwan 64% 32%
Thailand 72% 36%
Trinidad and Tobago 12% 10%
Tunisia 55% 28%
Turkey 10% 10%
United Arab Emirates 10% 10%
United Kingdom 10% 10%
Vietnam 90% 46%

The post Trump Was Right: More than 50 Countries Have Already Contacted White House to Negotiate Trade and Tariffs appeared first on The Gateway Pundit.

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