A 2011 video of then-President Barack Obama decrying government waste and appointing then-Vice President Joe Biden to lead his “Campaign to Cut Spending” has resurfaced, prompting Elon Musk to say it “sounds exactly like” the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE).
Like President Donald Trump, Obama also took executive action with the purported goal of slashing spending for useless government projects, including websites dedicated to a “folk music ensemble made up of forest rangers” and buildings that no one works in.
“Obama sounds exactly like @DOGE !!” Elon Musk said in response to the video:
“They’re called the Fiddlin’ Foresters,” Obama said. “I’ll put their music on my iPod, but I’m not paying for their website — and there are hundreds of similar sites that we should consolidate or just get rid of.”
He continued, “By the way, you’re not only paying for websites no one needs. You’re paying for thousands of buildings all across the country no one uses. For the last decade, the government has owned a massive and completely empty warehouse in the middle of Brooklyn, for example.”
The Democrat president then went on to announce Biden as the leader of “a renewed effort to hunt down misspent tax dollars in every agency and department of this government,” adding that “nobody messes with Joe.”
By subscribing, you agree to our terms of use & privacy policy. You will receive email marketing messages from Breitbart News Network to the email you provide. You may unsubscribe at any time.
Biden also made a statement in the video, appearing to be significantly more lucid than he did when he later served as president:
There’s a new standard by which the government is going to function this point on. The American people are entitled to transparency. Look, a lot of this depends on new, sophisticated methods, but it also, we know, depends on relentless focus, on making this a priority. A focus that can’t be delegated. We’re holding ourselves accountable, and we’re deeply committed and focused on making government function better. We’re not just eliminating fraud and waste. We hope to be instilling an entire new culture that not only our administration, but every succeeding administration will, in fact, pursue. We’re going to give you the government you expect and deserve.
Obama and Biden’s announcement came with the signing of an executive order titled “Delivering an Efficient, Effective, and Accountable Government,” which established the Government Accountability and Transparency (GAT) Board — with goals similar to Trump and Musk’s DOGE.
The GAT Board lacked significant follow-through and ultimately fell apart, leaving American taxpayers on the hook for what DOGE has uncovered since Trump established it via executive order on his first day back in office.
COMMENTS
Please let us know if you're having issues with commenting.