Elon Musk and Sen. Bernie Sanders (D-VT) have both criticized the Pentagon after it failed its seventh consecutive audit, leaving billions unaccounted for in its $886 billion budget. The rare agreement between the tech mogul and the Vermont senator underscores growing frustration with government inefficiency.
Sanders posted on X, “Elon Musk is right. The Pentagon has lost track of billions while passing bloated budgets full of waste and fraud. Only 13 senators voted against this madness last year. That must change.” Musk, appointed by President-elect Donald Trump to co-lead the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), has similarly called for deep cuts to government spending.
DOGE, co-led by former presidential candidate Vivek Ramaswamy, is tasked with reducing waste across federal agencies. Sanders praised the initiative, stating that defense spending should be a primary focus for cost-cutting measures.
The Pentagon’s fiscal mismanagement has been a longstanding issue. In 2022, the Department of Defense failed to account for 60% of its assets, yet Congress has continued approving near-record military budgets. Critics like Sanders and Musk argue that this lack of accountability undermines trust in government.
Sanders and Musk have previously found common ground on issues of efficiency. In September, Sanders supported Musk’s remarks on reducing obesity to improve public health outcomes. Their shared focus on eliminating waste, whether in defense or healthcare, highlights the bipartisan potential of tackling inefficiency.
As the Pentagon faces increasing scrutiny, Musk and Sanders’ calls for reform may bolster efforts to bring accountability to the Department of Defense and federal agencies at large.
