Ben & Jerry’s Co-Founder Ben Cohen told Daily Caller News Foundation co-founder Tucker Carlson on Monday that, due to the Pentagon’s inflated budget, the department is a “huge demonic sucking tube.”
President Donald Trump announced Saturday that his second administration will seek a 13% increase in defense spending, which would push the Pentagon over $1 trillion. While calling out the bloated spending during a discussion of the Ukraine-Russia war on “The Tucker Carlson Show,” Cohen talked about how he thinks the U.S. could be using its budget.
“We could have more affordable housing. We could make it so that the American dream could actually still happen, that people could afford a house. That you can get a decent education, and that you can get childcare,” Cohen said.
“That it doesn’t have to cost you so much money to go to college. These things can all be done. Most other developed countries are providing that for their citizens, but the U.S. chooses to spend, I mean, look at this,” Cohen added while pulling out a budget chart.
While the president has asked for an increase in spending, Trump ordered a review of all defense acquisition programs in April, giving Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth 90 days to review and potentially cancel major defense programs that are either 15% or more over budget or behind schedule. (RELATED: ‘Redundant’: Hegseth Orders Sweeping Cuts in Top Military Ranks)
WATCH:
During the U.S. 2024 fiscal year, national defense spending was one of the top five expenditures, reaching $874 billion, according to Forbes. Defense spending came in behind Social Security at $1.46 trillion, health at $912 billion, net interest on the debt at $882 billion and Medicare, which matched national defense at $874 billion, the outlet reported.
“This is a chart of the federal discretionary budget. That’s the amount of money that Congress has each year to allocate to the various departments. So the big red one on top, that gets over half, that’s the Pentagon,” Cohen said as he held up his chart for Carlson.
“These little slivers are like, you know, USAID, the education department, the health department, community development, whatever else the country does,” Cohen said. “But in terms of stuff that would actually be helpful to people living in their daily lives, it’s all sucked out by the Pentagon.”
Cohen went on to highlight Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. ‘s 1967 speech, in which he criticized the U.S. for prioritizing the Vietnam War over dedicating “necessary funds or energies in rehabilitation of its poor.”
“Martin Luther King gave this speech, and he talked about the Pentagon being this huge demonic sucking tube that sucks out the lifeblood of things like housing, schools,” Cohen added. “Everybody’s school budget is always in the red, or, you know, can’t raise enough money. Gotta get rid of teachers, or whomever, but — ”
“I think that’s when they shot him, is when he said that,” Carlson said.
On Monday, Hegseth issued a memo directing the Department of Defense to reduce the number of active four-star military officers and general officers in the National Guard by at least 20%, along with a minimum 10% reduction among general and flag officers.
All content created by the Daily Caller News Foundation, an independent and nonpartisan newswire service, is available without charge to any legitimate news publisher that can provide a large audience. All republished articles must include our logo, our reporter’s byline and their DCNF affiliation. For any questions about our guidelines or partnering with us, please contact licensing@dailycallernewsfoundation.org.
