Vermont Senator Bernie Sanders has never been accused of being conservative. But he’s making new allies no one saw coming.
And now Bernie Sanders shocked all with a sudden team-up with Donald Trump.
Senator Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.), a prominent progressive, surprised many on Sunday by voicing support for President-elect Donald Trump’s newly announced Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE)—as long as it targets the Pentagon’s bloated budget.
“Elon Musk is right. The Pentagon, with a budget of $886 billion, just failed its 7th audit in a row. It’s lost track of billions,” the 83-year-old Vermont senator posted on X.
“Last year, only 13 senators voted against the Military Industrial Complex and a defense budget full of waste and fraud. That must change,” Sanders added, holding his ground against what he’s often criticized as unchecked defense spending.
Trump, who swept last month’s election, quickly unveiled DOGE as a key initiative, appointing tech icon Elon Musk, 53, and biotech entrepreneur Vivek Ramaswamy, 39, to spearhead the effort.
Although its name plays on cryptocurrency culture, DOGE is not an official government department but a lean, external organization designed to partner with the White House and the Office of Management and Budget to slash wasteful government spending.
Sanders’ willingness to back the plan aligns with his longstanding criticism of excessive defense budgets. For years, he has slammed Pentagon spending as “bloated and wasteful,” arguing the money could better serve social programs.
His stance seems validated by last month’s admission from the Department of Defense: it failed its seventh consecutive independent audit, raising bipartisan concerns over its handling of taxpayer funds. The Pentagon received $824.3 billion in funding for the 2024 fiscal year despite these failures.
Pentagon CFO Mike McCord tried to downplay concerns, claiming the audits revealed no significant fraud and assuring the public that a clean audit might be achievable “in several years.” But critics, including some Democrats, aren’t convinced.
Rep. Ro Khanna (D-Calif.) echoed Sanders’ sentiments, signaling bipartisan interest in working with DOGE.
“When it comes to cutting waste, fraud, and abuse and opening the 5 primes to more competition, there are Democrats on [the House Armed Services Committee] who will work with @elonmusk and @DOGE,” Khanna posted on X. Meanwhile, Rep. Jared Moskowitz (D-Fla.) suggested DOGE should also scrutinize the Department of Homeland Security’s operations.
Trump, who has championed military expansion throughout his career, seems to believe DOGE’s efficiency reforms can coexist with his vision of a stronger military. Musk, who has spent considerable time at Trump’s Mar-a-Lago estate since the election, reinforced this message.
Replying to Sanders’ post with several American flag emojis, Musk’s America super PAC declared, “Sensible spending is not a partisan issue. The general public supports @DOGE holding government accountable to spend taxpayer money more wisely.”
The initiative has already stirred reactions across the political spectrum. Former Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-Fla.) sarcastically welcomed Sanders aboard, posting, “Welcome home, Bernie.” The End Wokeness account quipped, “Has hell frozen over?”
Meanwhile, Collin Rugg of Trending Politics noted, “Glad you realized Elon Musk is not the problem. The problem is the federal government which has wasted and lost trillions of dollars of taxpayer money.”
Ramaswamy and Musk, in a Wall Street Journal op-ed, teased their ambitious DOGE agenda. Their goals include pushing executive actions to cut bureaucratic fat and aggressively challenging opposition in court.
Both predict that DOGE will not only streamline government but also ignite economic growth by dismantling red tape.
While the left and right rarely see eye to eye, DOGE’s potential to expose waste and fraud at the Pentagon may signal a rare opportunity for common ground. For now, all eyes are on whether Sanders and Trump’s surprising overlap can translate into real reform—or just more political theater.
Stay tuned to Prudent Politics.
