Trump’s art of the deal is now becoming the art of the clawback

The new target of the Democrats’ ire is Elon Musk, replacing for the time-being their obsessive hatred for Donald Trump

In their promise to oppose Donald Trump every step of the way, liberals across the country have found themselves in the uncomfortable position of opposing the popular initiative exacted by DOGE -- rooting out waste, fraud and abuse, even going so far as suggesting a “street fight” is necessary. I’m 

The latest clawback iteration lies within the working (and lodging) walls of DOGE. Elon Musk, who is heading up the department’s efforts and frequently sleeps on the floor is now launching an initiative to cut taxpayers a dividend check floated straight out of money saved by his team’s efforts. 

The goal for Musk and his team of waste-finders is $2 trillion. The working breakdown is to allot 80% to reduce the deficit, 20% to service the debt and 20% to the taxpayers. With $400 billion dispersed among roughly 79 million taxpayers, that equates to a little over $5000 per taxpaying household. They even set up a website for taxpayers to explore and learn more about the plan. 

Where does the money come from? So far, DOGE has announced roughly $55 billion in cuts and posting to the social media platform X some of the already-cancelled programs including $40 million for “gender equality and women empowerment hub,” $29 million to “strengthening political landscape in Bangladesh,” $20 million for “fiscal federalism” in Nepal, $19 million for “biodiversity conversation” in Nepal and about a dozen other items.  

Skepticism in media

Some news outlets have reported that DOGE team's "wall of receipts" shows errors in tallying billions in savings. Axios published a story casting doubt on the actual savings made by DOGE, saying "DOGE claims that its "total estimated savings" to date are roughly $55 billion. But there are questions about whether that sum is inflated. Bloomberg says the website lists $16.6 billion in savings." 

While it may take quite some time for the actual savings to be tallied up, the key will be in Congress codifying these efforts. The House Oversight Committee’s Subcommitee Chairwoman Rep. Marjorie Taylor-Green (R-GA) told Just The News, “the amount of fraud and waste DOGE is exposing is unbelievable. Taxpayer money should only be spent to help Americans and I’m glad money is being returned. But Congress has to do our job. During the reconciliation process, we can put restrictions on funding to ensure that money is only spent where it’s supposed to be spent. That’s what my DOGE subcommittee is all about.”

Clawing back culture

Clawing back culture is a multi-tiered process. At the top of that list: removing DEI. Donald Trump has been trying to ensure that democrat-pushed aspects like diversity, equity and inclusion are replaced with merit in his January 22 Executive Order. 

Additionally and according to White House deputy chief of staff, Stephen Miller, “this includes making clear to every educational institution in this country that ending diversity, equity, and inclusion, ending unlawful race discrimination is a precondition of receiving federal funds.” Educational institutions must now choose between pushing DEI in schools and in hiring practices or receiving aid from the federal government.  

Another important aspect of bringing American values back to culture is restoring our history - the good, the bad and the ugly - and learning from it. During the summer of 2020’s George Floyd riots, many historical monuments across this country were torn down. Important symbols of our history like statues of Presidents George Washington and Thomas Jefferson in Portland, Oregon and President Theodore Roosevelt in New York City, were either destroyed by rioters or taken down by local municipalities in the aftermath. 

In an effort to restore the history and remembrance of American figures, at the February 6 National Prayer Breakfast, Trump announced his reinstated plans to construct the National Garden of American Heroes. "I have signed an Executive Order to resume the process of creating a new national park full of statues of the greatest Americans who ever lived. We're going to be honoring our heroes, honoring the greatest people from our country. We're not gonna be tearing down, we're gonna be building up." 

The memorial park concept was synthesized during the violent protests that brought down the likenesses of hundreds of American figures, all flawed, but all important to this country. Some of the figures to be included in the National Garden of American Heroes include John Adams, Susan B. Anthony, Daniel Boone, Davy Crockett, Frederick Douglass, Amelia Earhart, Benjamin Franklin, Billy Graham, Alexander Hamilton, Thomas Jefferson, Martin Luther King, Jr., Abraham Lincoln, Douglas MacArthur, James Madison, George S. Patton, Jr., Ronald Reagan, Jackie Robinson, Betsy Ross, Antonin Scalia, Harriet Beecher Stowe, Harriet Tubman, Booker T. Washington, and George Washington.

Clawing back justice 

In the justice arena, it is a given that transparency for the American people must prevail. With Kash Patel confirmed Thursday as the new Director of the FBI, the investigative relationship between Congress and that agency should -- it is hoped -- run smoothly. Oversight Committee chairman James Comer is one House investigator who will be continuing his quest to uncover the full scope of the crimes attributed to the Biden family and their associates. 

In a recent interview on the “Just the News, No Noise” TV show, he said that it will be up to the new DOJ to carry it through to a conclusion, explaining that “at the end of the day, the Department of Justice is going to have to do that. Hopefully, [Attorney General] Pam Bondi is willing, which I hope she will be. Then I can assure you the House Oversight Committee, and I hate to speak for Jim Jordan, but I'll go on a limb here that House Judiciary Committee will give our names of people to be held accountable to try to drain the deep state swamp, and I know cash Patel is interested in that as well, and hopefully we can see that happen.”

Speaking more to the issue of proving Biden culpability and outside-Federal legal options, author and investigate journalist Seamus Bruner offered some insight. Featured on the “Furthermore with Amanda Head” podcast, Bruner highlighted that proving payments facilitated by Hunter Biden actually landed with his father is key, saying “proving that Joe [Biden] got paid, we found over $100,000 of bills that Hunter paid for him. That's not nothing. And so I think Joe getting the money really puts a nice, tidy bow on the most corrupt political family tied with the Clintons, maybe, but the Clintons didn't sell out to China in the same way the Bidens did. So really, we can say the most corrupt political family in history.” 

There is another remaining option for justice that lies with states, according to Bruner, in that “even with the federal pardon, there could be state charges on the table out of states like Florida.”