In this episode, Tad DeHaven, a policy analyst at the Cato Institute, delves into a variety of pressing economic topics. DeHaven's background includes serving as a deputy budget director of Indiana and as a policy advisor in the U.S. Senate. The conversation ranges from the significant public support for DOGE (a proposed governmental auditing initiative) against the backdrop of media opposition, to the U.S. federal budget and increasing deficits. DeHaven critiques the idea of a U.S. Sovereign Wealth Fund initiated by President Trump, highlighting the potential for corruption and inefficiency, as exemplified by similar funds in other countries. He emphasizes the importance of responsible spending cuts and urges skepticism towards misinformation about government waste and spending. DeHaven also discusses the benefits of federalism and the need for more state control over funding as a means to achieve efficient and accountable governance.
Policy analyst Tad DeHaven (Cato Institute, former deputy budget director of Indiana) joins Jesse to break down why America’s spending problem runs much deeper than "waste, fraud, and abuse." They dig into the explosion of federal spending since 2015, why Social Security and Medicare are untouchable political landmines, and how the federal government undermines state-level accountability through backdoor funding and strings-attached grants.
Topics covered:
– Why Doge’s trillion-dollar fraud claims don’t hold up
– The myth of fixing the deficit by cutting "waste"
– Social Security’s looming insolvency
– Federalism vs. centralized spending
– The danger of a U.S. sovereign wealth fund
– How executive overreach threatens the Constitution
– What Saudi Arabia, Angola, and Malaysia teach us about corruption risk
– Why inflation—not politicians—may be the only real check on debt
📺Watch the full episode on YouTube➡️https://youtu.be/ZfhPrVt9BQw