Former aides to President Barack Obama admitted on an episode of “Pod Save America” they should have done “some of the stuff” President Donald Trump is doing with the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE).
When discussing DOGE’s initiatives to cut federal spending, the “Obama bros” admitted to “lamenting” their situation. Jon Lovett, a former Obama speechwriter, implied he “didn’t know” the executive branch could radically cut federal spending as the Trump administration has done.
“Honestly, some of this is pretty annoying because it’s some of the stuff we should’ve done. We didn’t know you could do some of this,” Lovett said.
Jon Favreau, also a former Obama speechwriter, shared Lovett’s frustration, admitting the Obama administration tried to cut through bureaucracy and create government efficiency, but “it’s hard to do.”
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From left, Jon Favreau, Jon Lovett and Tommy Vietor at Politicon at Pasadena Convention Center on July 29, 2017, in Pasadena, California. (John Sciulli/Getty Images for Politicon)
“We all know that government is slow. We all know government can be inefficient. We all know that the bureaucracy can be bloated. We all worked in f—ing the White House. We tried to reorganize the government. We tried to find efficiency. It’s hard to do,” Favreau said.
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From left, Tommy Vietor, Jon Lovett and Hillary Clinton speak after the “Pod Save America Live” event during the Tribeca Festival on June 12, 2023, in New York City. (Jason Mendez/Getty Images for Tribeca Festival)
The liberal podcasters also complained about the federal government’s technology during the Obama era.
“The technology in the federal government, at least when we were there, sucked. There was no service in the basement of the West Wing. You couldn’t use your phone because there was no service.” Favreau added.
“Pod Save America” did not immediately respond to Fox News Digital’s request for comment on which DOGE initiatives the Obama administration should have done.
The podcast episode was released ahead of Trump signing an executive order on Tuesday directing agencies to coordinate with DOGE to reduce the size of the federal government. The executive order is the latest in a slew of government slashes these past few weeks, which have targeted everything from DEI funding to migrant hotel bills.
President Donald Trump signs an executive order pausing the FCPA on Feb. 10, 2025, in Washington, D.C. (Reuters)
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The “Obama Bros” have been on a media circuit in recent weeks, directing Democrats on how to politically engage during Trump’s second term. Former Obama spokesman and “Pod Save America” co-host, Tommy Vietor, joined “Jesse Watters Primetime” last month to discuss the future of the Democratic Party.
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