Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent testified Wednesday to a congressional committee in favor of President Donald Trump’s “Big, Beautiful Bill,” saying it would be &#8220;cataclysmic&#8221; for lawmakers to let the package die.
Bessent&#8217;s remarks came in response to a question from House Ways and Means Subcommittee on Tax Chairman Mike Kelly (R-PA).
“Let’s go to what actually is going to happen if this bill doesn’t get passed,&#8221; Kelly asked Bessent. &#8220;How is it going to affect hardworking American taxpayers?”
&#8220;It would be cataclysmic,&#8221; Bessent <a href="https://x.com/RapidResponse47/status/1932868781040136656">responded</a>. &#8220;It would be the largest tax hike in history. It would be a disaster for businesses, for working Americans, and for our status in the world.”
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
.<a href="https://twitter.com/SecScottBessent?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@SecScottBessent</a>: If the One Big Beautiful Bill doesn&#39;t pass, &quot;it would be cataclysmic. It would be the largest tax hike in history. It would be a disaster for businesses, for working Americans, and for our status in the world.&quot; <a href="https://t.co/Aaihs72JyP">pic.twitter.com/Aaihs72JyP</a>
&mdash; Rapid Response 47 (@RapidResponse47) <a href="https://twitter.com/RapidResponse47/status/1932868781040136656?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 11, 2025</a></blockquote>
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Bessent&#8217;s warning comes as the Senate considers whether or not it will pass the bill, which passed the House by just one vote. Two House Republicans <a href="https://www.foxnews.com/politics/gop-holdouts-sound-alarm-36t-debt-crisis-trumps-big-beautiful-bill-passes-house-vote" target="_blank" rel="noopener">voted against</a> it. <a href="https://thehill.com/homenews/senate/5341080-republicans-debate-fiscal-deficit-cuts/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Senate Republicans</a> seem divided on the bill, with  Senator Rand Paul of Kentucky notably <a href="https://thehill.com/homenews/senate/5314189-rand-paul-house-gop-budget-bill/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">expressing</a> his dissatisfaction with the bill’s debt ceiling.
Replying to Kelly, Bessent warned that if the bill does not pass, “We would see increases in taxes of thousands of dollars on working Americans. We would see business contract, and we would see a substantial increase in the unemployment rate.”
Proponents of the bill, which <a href="https://taxpolicycenter.org/features/2025-tax-cuts-tracker#:~:text=TAX%20CUTS-,Expiring%20TCJA%20Provisions,set%20to%20expire%20after%202025.&amp;text=Near%20doubling%20of%20the%20standard,State%20and%20local%20taxes%20(SALT)" target="_blank" rel="noopener">extends</a> the 2017 Tax Cuts and Jobs Act, argue that killing it threatens the national economy, while opponents claim that the bill only adds trillions to the national debt while reducing healthcare and nutrition benefits.
Kelly also asked Bessent to comment about what more can be done to move the economy in the right direction.
“The combination of small business and manufacturing, along with the President’s tax agenda for no tax on tips, no tax on overtime, a tax cut for seniors, and the ability to buy a new, American-made car and deduct the interest will solve this horrendous affordability crisis,&#8221; Bessent replied.
“The way to think about it, Congressman — we are dealing with two things here: we are dealing with affordability and we are dealing with inflation,” Bessent said.
“We are working to pull [affordability] down. That can be pulled down two ways: through price levels or [increasing] real wages. I think we can do both but the real fill-up here would be [to] increase real wages for working Americans.”
Later in the hearing, Representative David Kustoff of Tennessee reiterated Kelly’s concerns about the danger of killing the bill.
Bessent agreed, saying that, “I think it could set off a financial crisis the likes of which we have not seen since ‘08, ‘09.”

Senate Finance Committee Holds Confirmation Hearing For Scott Bessent

Not Passing ‘Big, Beautiful Bill’ Would Be ‘Cataclysmic,’ Treasury Secretary Warns

Budget

Rand Paul

Scott Bessent

Senate

President Donald Trump singled out Sen. Rand Paul (R-KY) for criticism on Tuesday in a dispute over the &#8220;One Big, Beautiful Bill.&#8221;
The scolding took place on Truth Social shortly after Paul made an appearance on TV in which the senator said he would not support the legislation in its current form because it aims to raise the debt ceiling by several trillion dollars.
&#8220;Rand Paul has very little understanding of the BBB, especially the tremendous GROWTH that is coming. He loves voting &#8216;NO&#8217; on everything, he thinks it’s good politics, but it’s not. The BBB is a big WINNER!!!&#8221; Trump <a href="https://truthsocial.com/@realDonaldTrump/posts/114619628833129608" target="_blank" rel="noopener">said</a> in one post.
Trump <a href="https://truthsocial.com/@realDonaldTrump/posts/114619648032728687" target="_blank" rel="noopener">declared</a> in another post, &#8220;Rand votes NO on everything, but never has any practical or constructive ideas. His ideas are actually crazy (losers!). The people of Kentucky can’t stand him. This is a BIG GROWTH BILL!&#8221;
On CNBC&#8217;s &#8220;Squawk Box,&#8221; Paul <a href="https://x.com/RandPaul/status/1929908175748088234" target="_blank" rel="noopener">said</a> the &#8220;main thing&#8221; he objects to in the massive bill, which contains many provisions in line with Trump&#8217;s second-term agenda, is how it would raise the debt ceiling by another $4-5 trillion. As it stands, the national debt is approaching $37 trillion.
&#8220;That&#8217;s an indication that we&#8217;ll borrow that much. It&#8217;s an indication that we&#8217;ll put the debt on the back burner,&#8221; said Paul, who added that he did not join &#8220;most of the Republicans&#8221; who voted to &#8220;continue the Biden spending levels&#8221; with the six-month continuing resolution Congress passed in March.
Paul said he believes there are three or four Republicans in the Senate who might oppose the bill as it stands. That amount could be enough to stall the legislation&#8217;s progress, given the GOP has only a 53-45 <a href="https://www.senate.gov/history/partydiv.htm" target="_blank" rel="noopener">majority</a>.
&#8220;If there are four of us who want it to be more fiscally conservative, I think we can really reduce the spending levels and perhaps separate out the debt ceiling as well,&#8221; Paul said.
The senator also noted that he is &#8220;pretty much open to compromise on everything else in the bill,&#8221; specifically expressing support for how it seeks to retain the 2017 tax cuts.
Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA) also defended the legislation from Paul&#8217;s <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/rand-paul-warns-big-beautiful-bill-explode-debt" target="_blank" rel="noopener">critique</a> on the debt ceiling in a recent &#8220;Fox News Sunday&#8221; interview. He alluded to how the reconciliation process Republicans are using allows Congress to bypass the Senate&#8217;s 60-vote filibuster threshold.
&#8220;We have to do it,&#8221; Johnson <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/speaker-johnson-rebuts-rand-pauls-debt-warning-big-beautiful-bill" target="_blank" rel="noopener">said</a>. &#8220;We&#8217;re not going to get any Democrats to assist on that. So, to get it through the Senate and make sure we don&#8217;t crash the U.S. economy and default on our debts for the first time in history, it has to be part of the reconciliation package.&#8221;

Senator Rand Paul

Trump Puts Rand Paul On Blast Over ‘Big, Beautiful Bill’

Congress

Debt Ceiling

Donald Trump

Executive

Mike Johnson

National Debt

Politics

Spending Bill

Tax Cuts

U.S. Senate

The White House is banking on the highest court in the land to save President Donald Trump&#8217;s sweeping tariffs on foreign nations that were blocked by a trio of judges in an ongoing legal fight this week.
&#8220;These judges are threatening to undermine the credibility of the United States on the world stage,&#8221; White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt told reporters in a briefing on Thursday, adding moments later, &#8220;Ultimately, the Supreme Court must put an end to this, for the sake of our Constitution and our country.&#8221;
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.<a href="https://twitter.com/PressSec?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@PressSec</a>: &#8220;Last night the Trump administration faced another example of judicial overreach&#8230;Three judges of the U.S. Court of international trade&#8230;brazenly abused their judicial power to usurp the authority of President Trump&#8230;the courts should have no role here.&#8221; <a href="https://t.co/NchnASHzJP">pic.twitter.com/NchnASHzJP</a>
— CSPAN (@cspan) <a href="https://twitter.com/cspan/status/1928144137611522120?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 29, 2025</a></blockquote>
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On Wednesday, a three-judge panel of the New York-based Court of International Trade <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/federal-court-blocks-trumps-sweeping-liberation-day-tariffs" target="_blank" rel="noopener">rejected</a> Trump&#8217;s use of the International Emergency Economic Powers Act of 1977 (IEEPA) and struck down his sweeping levies on imports from countries around the world.
The Trump administration is challenging the ruling and <a href="https://storage.courtlistener.com/recap/gov.uscourts.cafc.23106/gov.uscourts.cafc.23106.7.0.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noopener">says</a> it &#8220;plans to seek emergency relief from the Supreme Court&#8221; on Friday &#8220;to avoid irreparable national-security and economic harms at stake&#8221; if a federal appeals court does not provide interim relief.
Leavitt said the U.S. Court of International Trade judges &#8220;abused their judicial power to usurp the authority of President Trump&#8221; and &#8220;failed to acknowledge that the President of the United States has core foreign affairs powers and authority given to him by Congress to protect the United States economy and national security.&#8221;
<a href="https://get.dailywire.com/subscribe/plus/?utm_medium=website&amp;utm_source=editorial&amp;utm_campaign=memorial&amp;utm_content=editorialmemorialday&amp;_gl=1*1qdq03s*_gcl_au*MTYyNDg0MTE0OS4xNzQxODk4NTMz*_ga*MTEzOTk1NjkxNi4xNzI2MzI1MDQz*_ga_CZKR9ZYKJP*czE3NDgzNzg2NDgkbzEwMDMkZzEkdDE3NDgzODEwMTckajU4JGwwJGgw" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Get 40% Off New DailyWire+ Annual Memberships</a>
After the Republican-led Senate <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/senate-rejects-bid-to-stop-trumps-liberation-day-tariffs-vance-stifles-attempt-to-resurrect-it" target="_blank" rel="noopener">rejected</a> last month a resolution spearheaded by Sen. Rand Paul (R-KY) to stop the national emergency declaration that Trump used to impose his “Liberation Day” tariffs, the courts &#8220;should have no role here,&#8221; Leavitt insisted.
&#8220;America cannot function if President Trump, or any other president for that matter, has their sensitive diplomatic or trade negotiations railroaded by activist judges,&#8221; Leavitt said, alluding to negotiations the U.S. is having with other nations to strike trade deals.
There are more hurdles ahead for the Trump administration. Another federal judge issued a <a href="https://apnews.com/live/donald-trump-news-updates-5-29-2025" target="_blank" rel="noopener">ruling</a> on Thursday, around when Leavitt spoke to reporters, that placed a stoppage on the president&#8217;s tariffs.
In a post on X, Sen. Paul <a href="https://x.com/RandPaul/status/1928111254704386119" target="_blank" rel="noopener">said</a>, &#8220;I have said time and time again that the Founders wanted to prevent one person from having unilateral control and decision-making powers. That’s why the power of the purse and the ability to tax lie with Congress, not the president.&#8221;

White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt

SCOTUS ‘Must Put An End’ To Tariff Blockage, White House Says

Judges

Karoline Leavitt

Supreme Court

Tariffs

Trade War

White House

Sen. Rand Paul (R-KY) criticized the version of President Donald Trump&#8217;s &#8220;One Big, Beautiful Bill&#8221; <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/house-passes-one-big-beautiful-bill-in-massive-win-for-trump" target="_blank" rel="noopener">passed</a> by the House last week, warning that it would significantly increase the national debt.
In a Sunday interview with anchor Shannon Bream on &#8220;Fox News Sunday,&#8221; Paul expressed support for the bill&#8217;s tax cuts but described its spending cuts as &#8220;wimpy and anemic.&#8221; Even so, Paul said he could support the bill — if not for concerns about it adding to the nearly $37 trillion national debt.
&#8220;The problem is the math doesn&#8217;t add up,&#8221; Paul said. &#8220;They&#8217;re going to explode the debt by — the House says $4 trillion, the Senate&#8217;s actually been talking about exploding the debt $5 trillion.&#8221;
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-media-max-width="560">
Great joining <a href="https://twitter.com/ShannonBream?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@ShannonBream</a> on <a href="https://twitter.com/FoxNewsSunday?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@FoxNewsSunday</a> to talk about why I oppose the Big Beautiful Bill. <a href="https://t.co/ylvf4TKXrz">pic.twitter.com/ylvf4TKXrz</a>
— Senator Rand Paul (@SenRandPaul) <a href="https://twitter.com/SenRandPaul/status/1926639668960883102?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 25, 2025</a></blockquote>
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Proponents <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/trump-budget-chief-responds-fiscal-hawk-heartburn-over-big-beautiful-bill" target="_blank" rel="noopener">tout</a> how the bill aims to make reforms to rein in spending programs, such as kicking illegal immigrants off Medicaid, and foster economic growth. Yet that may not be enough. Like the House, the Senate has a slim GOP majority, and it&#8217;s not guaranteed the bill will prevail in its current form.
Paul, who lamented that the U.S. deficit remains about $2.2 trillion, said he would consider backing the legislation if its proposed $4-5 trillion debt ceiling increase is removed.
&#8220;There&#8217;s got to be someone left in Washington who thinks debt is wrong and deficits are wrong and wants to go in the other direction,&#8221; he said. &#8220;The idea that we&#8217;re going to explode deficits and the projections are now looking at over $3 trillion in deficits over the next 10 years. I think it&#8217;s just &#8230; not a serious proposal.&#8221;
Confronted with the prospect of a coming U.S. default, Paul said he proposed an amendment that would raise the debt ceiling every three months to leverage spending cuts. However, Republicans are adopting the &#8220;same playbook&#8221; as the Democrats and keep avoiding the issue, he said.
Paul cautioned that borrowing to fund &#8220;free stuff&#8221; such as healthcare drives a $3 trillion deficit, triggering inflation that harms beneficiaries, and he bemoaned a failure to advance DOGE-proposed spending cuts or rescission packages.
The national debt, with $7 trillion in spending against $5 trillion in revenue, is the &#8220;greatest threat&#8221; to U.S. national security, Paul said.
&#8220;Conservatives do need to stand up and have their voice heard,&#8221; he declared. &#8220;This is a problem we&#8217;ve been facing for decades now, and if we don&#8217;t stand up on it, I really fear the direction the country is going.&#8221;

Sen. Rand Paul (R-KY)

Rand Paul Warns ‘Big, Beautiful Bill’ Will ‘Explode The Debt’

Taxes

U.S.

Sen. Rand Paul (R-KY) defended President Donald Trump&#8217;s decision to begin the process of shutting down the Department of Education, arguing that it has not shown tangible results to justify its existence.
Paul made the remarks during a Sunday interview on CBS News&#8217; &#8220;Face The Nation&#8221; with Margaret Brennan when asked about whether low-income schools would continue to receive federal subsidies if the Department is closed.
&#8220;I think the bigger question is, if we&#8217;re sending all this money to Kentucky and all the other states, why are our scores abysmal?&#8221; Paul asked. &#8220;Why do two-thirds of the kids not read at proficiency? Why do two-thirds of the kids or more not have math proficiency?&#8221;
&#8220;It&#8217;s been an utter failure,&#8221; he continued. &#8220;I&#8217;d leave it back to the states. It has always been a position, a very mainstream Republican position, to have control of the schools by the states, send the money back to the states, or, better yet, never take it from the states.&#8221;
He said that states are much better equipped at knowing how to spend money on the education needs in their states than the federal government.
&#8220;When I talk to teachers, they chafe at the national mandates on testing, they think are not appropriate for their kids,&#8221; he said. &#8220;They think they waste too much time teaching to national testing. The teachers would like more autonomy, and I think the teachers deserve more autonomy.&#8221;
Paul said that he would rather have &#8220;a guarantee that my kids can read and write and do math&#8221; than worry about any guarantees from the federal government that it will continue pumping billions of dollars in education funding.
&#8220;The number of dollars has gone up exponentially and our scores have gone the other way,&#8221; he said. &#8220;So dollars are not proportional to educational success. What I want is success. And I have talked a lot about this. I think there are innovations we can do where there&#8217;s more learning via some of the best teachers and we pay them more. I would like to have an NBA or NFL of teachers, the most extraordinary teachers, teach the entire country, if not the entire world.&#8221;
WATCH:
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
After President Trump&#8217;s cuts to the U.S. Education Department, Sen. Rand Paul (R-KY) says he&#8217;d like to see &#8220;an NBA or NFL of teachers,&#8221; with &#8220;the most extraordinary teachers&#8221; reaching &#8220;the entire country&#8221; or &#8220;the entire world&#8221; virtually.
&#8220;What we need to do is have the best… <a href="https://t.co/bgreJj8NS6">pic.twitter.com/bgreJj8NS6</a>
— Face The Nation (@FaceTheNation) <a href="https://twitter.com/FaceTheNation/status/1903854414512721968?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 23, 2025</a></blockquote>

Rand Paul Defends Trump Ending Education Dept: I Want ‘NFL Of Teachers,’ ‘Most Extraordinary Teachers’

Department of Education

Education

Trump Administration

Lori Chavez-DeRemer, President Donald Trump&#8217;s pick to lead the Department of Labor, told lawmakers on Wednesday that if confirmed she would respect state right-to-work laws after previously backing a bill that would have repealed laws allowing workers to opt out of labor unions. 
Chavez-DeRemer, a former Republican congresswoman from Oregon, told lawmakers in the Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor and Pensions multiple times that she would not oppose right-to-work states. This is a reversal from her time in Congress, when she backed the PRO Act, legislation that would have overturned state laws allowing a worker to not be forced to join a union or pay union dues to be employed. 
During the hearing, Chavez-DeRemer indicated to both Sens. Bill Cassidy (R-LA) and Rand Paul (R-KY) that she would not challenge right-to-work laws. 
When asked by Cassidy whether she still supported the PRO Act, Chavez-DeRemer responded by saying that she recognized she was “no longer a lawmaker,” and would work to implement President Donald Trump’s agenda. 
“I respect the right of the right-to-work states, and I have said that. That bill was imperfect, I understand that, and I am no longer a lawmaker,” she said. 
Later, she more explicitly said she would support the laws of right-to-work states during a back-and-forth with Paul, who had previously said he would not back her nomination. 
“The right to work is a fundamental tenant of labor laws where states have a right to choose if they want to be a right to work state,” she told Paul. “I fully, fairly, and support states who want to protect their right to work. I have said that to every senator I have visited with.” 
“So you no longer support the aspect of the PRO Act that would’ve overturned state right-to-work laws?” Paul asked.  
“Yeah,” she responded. 
“That’s a yes?” he asked.
“Yes,” she replied, and Paul said that he had “no more questions.” 
When asked after the hearing about whether he would potentially change his vote on her confirmation, Paul said that he would be reexamining her answers. 
“I’m going to think about her answers and think about whether or not a conversion at this last moment is sincere,” he said. 
Chavez-DeRemer was also asked during the hearing about her previous work at Planned Parenthood when she was in her 20s. 
“I am supportive of the president’s agenda. I have a 100% pro-life voting record in Congress and I will continue to support the America First agenda, which we know includes life,” she said when asked by Sen. Tommy Tuberville (R-AL) whether she was pro-abortion or pro-life.
“Good answer,” he replied. 
Chavez-DeRemer has a “B” rating from Susan B. Anthony Pro-Life America, which notes she did vote to oppose some pro-life measures in Congress, saying that she “publicly opposed passage of bills that would permanently stop taxpayer funding of abortion across the federal government.”
Her confirmation appears to be on track as most of the Republicans on the committee and a few of the Democrats appeared likely to vote to advance her nomination. 
A number of unions, including the International Franchise Association, the National Restaurant Association, the National Retail Federation, and the American Hotel and Lodging Association, have also announced support for her nomination.

Chavez-DeRemer Labor Hearing in Washington

Trump Labor Nominee Says She Will Respect State Right-To-Work Laws

Cabinet

Labor Unions

Like his father <a href="https://money.cnn.com/2011/06/24/news/economy/ron_paul_gold_audit/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">before him</a>, Sen. Rand Paul (R-KY) is pushing for an audit of the gold reserves at the United States bullion depository at Fort Knox in Kentucky. He proposed that the Trump administration&#8217;s Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), which has been scrutinizing various aspects of the federal bureaucracy, help in the endeavor.
Over the weekend, the X account for ZeroHedge <a href="https://x.com/zerohedge/status/1890856057368347006" target="_blank" rel="noopener">suggested</a> technology executive Elon Musk, who is overseeing the DOGE effort, &#8220;take a look inside Fort Knox just to make sure the 4,580 tons of US gold is there.&#8221; Musk <a href="https://x.com/elonmusk/status/1890869046096060559" target="_blank" rel="noopener">responded</a>, asking, &#8220;Surely it&#8217;s reviewed at least every year?&#8221; Paul then replied to Musk, <a href="https://x.com/RandPaul/status/1891125412442370355" target="_blank" rel="noopener">saying</a>, &#8220;Nope. Let&#8217;s do it.&#8221;
According to the United States Mint <a href="https://www.usmint.gov/learn/tours-and-locations/fort-knox?srsltid=AfmBOoowzZJPVc66duhbOfyS-nWWxEEoSDbvvowtvGmm6CvHzeKP_dby#accordion-d08d17b2a7-item-17dfee3991" target="_blank" rel="noopener">website</a>, Fort Knox has 147.3 million ounces of gold holdings. It says roughly half of the Treasury&#8217;s &#8220;stored gold (as well as valuables of other federal agencies)&#8221; is kept there. The website also notes the gold is held as an asset of the United States at a book value of $42.22 per ounce and only &#8220;very small quantities&#8221; have been removed for purity testing &#8220;during regularly scheduled audits. Except for these samples, no gold has been transferred to or from the Depository for many years.&#8221;
Fort Knox broke from its &#8220;strict no visitors policy&#8221; in 1974 to allow journalists and a congressional delegation into its vaults to view the gold reserves, the U.S. Mint noted, adding the Treasury Secretary &#8220;allows the visit when rumors persist that all the gold had been removed from the vaults&#8221; and previously, President Franklin D. Roosevelt was the only person other than authorized personnel to access the vaults.
During an <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EmAi0c69biA" target="_blank" rel="noopener">interview</a> on Fox News over the weekend, Paul talked about how he has tried to gain access to the Fort Knox gold vaults for a decade and missed his opportunity in 2017 when the bullion depository opened for a second time for then-Treasury Secretary Steve Mnuchin, Kentucky Governor Matt Bevin, and congressional representatives.
&#8220;I&#8217;ve been trying to go down and see the gold and make sure it&#8217;s all there for about 10 years. During the first Trump administration I got permission. You have to get permission all the way up to the Secretary of Treasury. And then the Secretary of Treasury said, &#8216;Well, I want to go down there, too.&#8217; And then he said, &#8216;I want to go down there when the eclipse is coming through Kentucky, too, so I can see the eclipse and the gold at the same time,'&#8221; Paul explained.
&#8220;But they came when I wasn&#8217;t there,&#8221; Paul continued with a chuckle. &#8220;So I tried for 10 years. I set up the appointment and then because they wanted to see the eclipse, they changed the appointment. I didn&#8217;t get to go down but the secretary of Treasury and the senior senator from Kentucky did go down and attest that they believe they saw the gold down there.&#8221;
Asked by &#8220;Fox and Friends&#8221; co-host Lawrence Jones what he thinks is the problem, Paul replied: &#8220;I think some of them may not think it needs to be audited all the time, but I think the more sunlight, the better. More transparency, the better. And also it brings attention to the fact that gold still has value and implicitly — not explicitly, but implicitly — gold still gives value to the dollar. That&#8217;s why we don&#8217;t get rid of it. You know we&#8217;ve got it. The IMF has it. The World Bank has it. Most of the central banks around the world have gold. And it&#8217;s an implicit trust that the dollar still has some backing.&#8221;

Rand Paul Suggests DOGE Help Audit Fort Knox Gold Reserves

Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE)

Elon Musk

Gold

Kentucky

On Monday, Sen. <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/rand-paul" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Rand Paul</a> (R-KY) released the latest edition of his annual <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/barbie-fraud-meth-monkeys-rand-pauls-annual-festivus-report-shows-900-billion-in-government-waste" target="_blank" rel="noopener">&#8220;Festivus Report,&#8221;</a> pitching it this year as being not just a precursor for the incoming <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/department-of-government-efficiency-doge" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE)</a>, but also a useful guide for anyone looking to cut down on federal spending.
The <a href="https://www.hsgac.senate.gov/wp-content/uploads/FESTIVUS-REPORT-2024.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noopener">2024 report</a> highlights more than $1 trillion of &#8220;government waste,&#8221; including a Florida man stealing $8 million in COVID-19 relief funds and using the money to buy an island and more, &#8220;ice-skating drag queens,&#8221; a $12 million Las Vegas pickleball complex, $4,840,082 on Ukrainian influencers, $32,596.12 for breakdancing, and the U.S. Navy being &#8220;set to waste almost $90 billion on ineffective Navy vessels.&#8221;
The report lists $288,563 spent to &#8220;ensure&#8221; bird-watching groups have safe spaces aka &#8220;Affinity Groups.&#8221; The State Department also allocated $330,000 to fund censorship of non-liberal and conservative media, and $419,470 spent to &#8220;determine if lonely rats seek cocaine more than happy rats.&#8221; The Department of Energy is deploying $15.5 billion to &#8220;push Americans toward electric vehicles they don&#8217;t want,&#8221; and much more.
&#8220;Last Festivus, we bemoaned the national debt nearing $34 trillion,&#8221; Paul wrote. &#8220;In just a year, Washington’s career politicians and bureaucrats have managed to push it beyond $36 trillion — unsurprisingly, with hardly a second thought.&#8221;
Paul blamed &#8220;everybody&#8221; for the nation&#8217;s &#8220;crushing national debt,&#8221; but acknowledged that help in battling government waste is on the way in the form of DOGE, which is set to be led by Tech executive <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/elon-musk" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Elon </a>Musk and biotech entrepreneur <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/vivek-ramaswamy" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Vivek Ramaswamy</a> under President-elect <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/donald-trump" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Donald Trump</a>&#8216;s second administration.
<a class="c-link" href="https://get.dailywire.com/gift-guide/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" data-stringify-link="https://get.dailywire.com/gift-guide/" data-sk="tooltip_parent" aria-describedby="sk-tooltip-26963">CHECK OUT THE DAILY WIRE HOLIDAY GIFT GUIDE</a>
&#8220;No matter how much money the government has wasted, politicians keep demanding even more,&#8221; Paul wrote. &#8220;As always, taking the path to fiscal responsibility is often a lonely journey, but I’ve been fighting government waste like DOGE before DOGE was cool. And I will continue my fight against government waste this holiday season.&#8221;
In a thread posted to X, Paul <a href="https://x.com/RandPaul/status/1871214884458742219" target="_blank" rel="noopener">shared</a> some of his &#8220;favorites&#8221; from the report, tagging Musk, Ramaswamy, and Sen. Joni Ernst (R-IA), who is <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/what-doge-could-cut-1200-coffee-cups-covid-clawbacks-and-3-cent-pennies" target="_blank" rel="noopener">chair of the Senate DOGE Caucus</a>.
After making a quip about Ernst&#8217;s voting record on spending bills, Paul <a href="https://x.com/RandPaul/status/1871222534852743173" target="_blank" rel="noopener">added</a>, &#8220;One thing that people should know, I tell jokes here, in case you weren’t here for other years. I welcome [Ernst] to [DOGE], along with anyone else old or new to the massive problems our spending and debt are causing.&#8221;
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
Here are some of my favorites from this report, soon to become yours, <a href="https://twitter.com/elonmusk?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@ElonMusk</a>&#8216;s, <a href="https://twitter.com/VivekGRamaswamy?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@VivekGRamaswamy</a>&#8216;s, AND <a href="https://twitter.com/joniernst?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@JONIERNST</a>&#8216;s. Ok, maybe not hers. I don&#8217;t know who she thinks she&#8217;s kidding. She&#8217;s voted for every spending bill since she got here…
Read more here:… <a href="https://t.co/zvzXEFdTwM">pic.twitter.com/zvzXEFdTwM</a>
— Rand Paul (@RandPaul) <a href="https://twitter.com/RandPaul/status/1871214884458742219?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 23, 2024</a></blockquote>
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‘DOGE Before DOGE Was Cool’: Rand Paul Unveils Annual ‘Festivus Report’ Showing $1T In Govt Waste

Vivek Ramaswamy

President-elect Donald Trump incoming <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/tom-homan" target="_blank" rel="noopener">border czar</a> said during an interview this week that he is absolutely willing to have far-Left Denver Mayor Mike Johnston thrown in jail after Johnston said that he would obstruct federal immigration officials from carrying out deportations in the city.
Johnston <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/denver-mayor-warns-trump-of-tiananmen-square-moment-if-he-rounds-up-illegal-immigrants" target="_blank" rel="noopener">said</a> in an interview with a local publication that he would deploy the Denver Police Department &#8220;at the county line to keep them out.&#8221;
He went even further, threatening to turn the situation into a &#8220;Tiananmen Square moment.&#8221;
Homan said during an interview with Fox News&#8217; Sean Hannity that impeding Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officials from removing illegal aliens was &#8220;absolutely breaking the law.&#8221;
&#8220;But, look, me and the Denver mayor, we agree on one thing: He’s willing to go to jail, I’m willing to put him in jail,&#8221; Homan added.
Homan&#8217;s remarks come after Johnston was asked during a separate interview with local media if he was willing to go to jail to stop deportations from happening.
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&#8220;Yeah, I&#8217;m not afraid of that,&#8221; Johnston said. &#8220;And I&#8217;m also not seeking that.&#8221;
Homan <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/dont-cross-that-line-trump-border-czar-warns-mayors-against-harboring-illegal-immigrants" target="_blank" rel="noopener">noted</a> that it is federal felony under Title 8 U.S.C. § 1324 to knowingly harbor and conceal an illegal alien from immigration authorities.
&#8220;President Trump has been clear, we want to concentrate on public safety threats and national security threats,&#8221; he added. &#8220;I find it hard to believe that any [government official] would say they don’t want public safety threats removed from their neighborhoods.&#8221;
WATCH:
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-media-max-width="560">
Border Czar Tom Homan on Denver Mayor Johnson&#8217;s threats to block deportations:
&#8220;I&#8217;m willing to put him in jail&#8221; <a href="https://t.co/cX393ay2LM">pic.twitter.com/cX393ay2LM</a>
— End Wokeness (@EndWokeness) <a href="https://twitter.com/EndWokeness/status/1861249634233929797?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 26, 2024</a></blockquote>
Sen. Rand Paul (R-KY), who sits on the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee, <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/rand-paul-denver-mayor-will-likely-be-removed-from-office-if-he-obstructs-ice" target="_blank" rel="noopener">told</a> CBS News on Sunday that Johnston would be removed from office if he resisted federal immigration authorities.
“The mayor of Denver, if he’s going to resist federal law, which there’s a longstanding history of the supremacy of federal law, if he’s going to resist that, it will go all the way to the Supreme Court,” he said. “And I would suspect that he would be removed from office.”
“I don’t know whether or not there’d be a criminal prosecution for someone resisting federal law, but he will lose,” he continued. “And people need to realize that what he is offering is a form of insurrection, where the states resist the federal government.”
“The mayor of Denver is on the wrong side of history, and, really, I think, will face legal ramifications if he doesn’t obey the federal law,” he added.

Tom Homan

Tom Homan On Denver’s Mayor Resisting ICE: ‘I’m Willing To Put Him In Jail’

Colorado

Denver

Illegal Immigration

Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE)

Sen. <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/rand-paul" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Rand Paul</a> (R-KY) said on Sunday that the mayor of Denver will be removed from office if he obstructs federal immigration officials from being able to carry out deportations in his city.
Paul&#8217;s comments come after far-Left mayor Mike Johnston <a href="https://denvergazette.com/news/trump-mass-deportation-denver-police-force/article_e643430c-a9c8-11ef-96d2-f7c3053aa81c.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">said</a> that he would deploy the Denver Police Department &#8220;at the county line&#8221; to keep Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents out.
Johnston said that it would turn into a &#8220;Tiananmen Square moment&#8221; and that he was &#8220;not afraid&#8221; of being arrested.
Paul, who sits on the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee, told CBS News that Johnston will be removed from office if he tries to obstruct ICE from operating inside Denver.
&#8220;The mayor of Denver, if he&#8217;s going to resist federal law, which there&#8217;s a longstanding history of the supremacy of federal law, if he&#8217;s going to resist that, it will go all the way to the Supreme Court,&#8221; he said. &#8220;And I would suspect that he would be removed from office.&#8221;
&#8220;I don&#8217;t know whether or not there&#8217;d be a criminal prosecution for someone resisting federal law, but he will lose,&#8221; he continued. &#8220;And people need to realize that what he is offering is a form of insurrection, where the states resist the federal government.&#8221;
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&#8220;The mayor of Denver is on the wrong side of history, and, really, I think, will face legal ramifications if he doesn&#8217;t obey the federal law,&#8221; he added.
WATCH:
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
Sen. Rand Paul (R-KY) says that the mayor of Denver will be removed from office if he resists federal law enforcement officials who are deporting illegal aliens: &#8220;It&#8217;s a form of insurrection&#8221; <a href="https://t.co/P9e4fVxVxu">pic.twitter.com/P9e4fVxVxu</a>
— Ryan Saavedra (@RealSaavedra) <a href="https://twitter.com/RealSaavedra/status/1860774341140521121?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 24, 2024</a></blockquote>

Top Health Officials Testify Before Senate Hearing

Rand Paul: Denver Mayor Will Likely Be ‘Removed From Office’ If He Obstructs ICE

Senator <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/rand-paul" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Rand Paul</a> (R-KY) demanded Tuesday that top Biden administration officials determine whether guidance from a FEMA employee for relief workers in Florida to skip homes with Trump signs was an isolated incident.
Paul, citing <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/exclusive-fema-official-ordered-relief-workers-to-skip-houses-with-trump-signs" target="_blank" rel="noopener">reporting</a> from The Daily Wire, <a href="https://www.hsgac.senate.gov/wp-content/uploads/2024.11.12_Letter-to-FEMA-from-Ranking-Member-Paul.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noopener">asked</a> Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas and FEMA Administrator Deanne Criswell to preserve all documents related to guidance instructing relief workers in Lake Placid to “avoid homes advertising Trump.” FEMA has <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/breaking-fema-fires-official-who-told-hurricane-relief-workers-to-skip-trump-homes" target="_blank" rel="noopener">since fired</a> Marn’i Washington, the employee who issued the guidance, saying they believe it was an “isolated incident.”
“I write to request information regarding recent reports that a Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) official instructed federal employees deployed to assist in the aftermath of Hurricane Milton to withhold disaster assistance from homeowners displaying political signs in support of President-elect Donald Trump,” Paul wrote in a letter.
“These allegations of discrimination by FEMA employees based on the political beliefs of disaster victims raise serious questions about FEMA’s ability to impartially administer disaster relief to Americans,” the Kentucky Republican added.
On Tuesday, Washington <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/fired-fema-employee-speaks-out-says-it-was-not-isolated-incident-colossal-event-of-avoidance" target="_blank" rel="noopener">told Roland Martin</a> that FEMA has a widespread policy of avoiding “politically hostile” homes.
“FEMA always preaches avoidance first and then de-escalation, so this is not isolated,” Washington said. “This is a colossal event of avoidance not just in the state of Florida, but you will find avoidance in the Carolinas.”
<a href="https://www.amiracist.com/?_gl=1*jtghwp*_gcl_au*ODQ1NjYzNTg2LjE3Mjg5MDk3OTE.*_ga*MTc2NzM0NDQ2NS4xNzI4OTA5Nzkx*_ga_CZKR9ZYKJP*MTczMDEyMDgwOS40OS4xLjE3MzAxMjA4MzkuMzAuMC4w" target="_blank" rel="noopener">MATT WALSH’S ‘AM I RACIST?’ NOW STREAMING ON DAILYWIRE+</a>
Paul, the ranking member on the Senate Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs, said that the Biden administration needed to preserve all records related to the incident, including when officials first became aware of the guidance.
A whistleblower complaint was filed with DHS on October 27, FEMA only removed Washington from her role on November 8, after The Daily Wire report.
“While I commend you for your swift action to terminate the employee, this does not appear to be an isolated incident. It is alleged that FEMA workers received similar instructions when responding to Hurricane Helene in North Carolina,” Paul wrote. “This politically motivated discrimination is unacceptable and must be investigated to ensure that FEMA administers disaster relief funds appropriated by Congress fairly and transparently.”
He also asked them to provide a list of any other examples of “political discrimination” FEMA may have records of or been alerted to. Paul requests the officials to respond to his letter by November 26. A flurry of <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/fema-chief-to-face-two-house-grillings-in-one-day" target="_blank" rel="noopener">federal</a> and <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/tennessee-to-investigate-fema-after-guidance-to-skip-trump-homes" target="_blank" rel="noopener">state</a> investigations was launched after The Daily Wire reported on the Trump sign guidance last week.

Secret Service Budget Concerns Delay Homeland Spending Bill

Senator Questions Whether FEMA Guidance To Skip Trump Homes Was ‘Isolated Incident’

Alejandro Mayorkas

Department of Homeland Security

Discrimination

FEMA

Florida

Senator Rand Paul&#8217;s wife Kelley Paul torched CNN host Kasie Hunt after a <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/cnn-anchor-cuts-off-trump-spox-as-debate-preview-goes-off-the-rails" target="_blank" rel="noopener">testy exchange</a> led Hunt to cut off the microphone on Trump spokeswoman Karoline Leavitt.
It all began with what was supposed to be a preview of Thursday evening&#8217;s scheduled debate between former President Donald Trump and current President Joe Biden, but Hunt abruptly ended the interview when Leavitt referred to CNN as a &#8220;hostile environment&#8221; for Trump and noted previous &#8220;biased coverage&#8221; of the former president by both of the network&#8217;s chosen debate moderators, Jake Tapper and Dana Bash.
&#8220;.@kasie celebrated actual violence against Rand Paul on air. She described his assault and injuries as her &#8216;favorite story.&#8217; Now she hysterically calls legitimate criticism of Jake Tapper &#8216;an attack,'&#8221; Kelley Paul posted in response.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
.<a href="https://twitter.com/kasie?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@kasie</a> celebrated actual violence against Rand Paul on air. She described his assault and injuries as her “favorite story.” Now she hysterically calls legitimate criticism of Jake Tapper “an attack.” <a href="https://t.co/EOjTBRpbfO">https://t.co/EOjTBRpbfO</a>
— Kelley Paul (@KelleyAshbyPaul) <a href="https://twitter.com/KelleyAshbyPaul/status/1805240041460859039?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 24, 2024</a></blockquote>
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A short time later, someone posted the video of Hunt talking about neighbor Rene Boucher&#8217;s 2017 attack on Senator Paul, during which he sustained six broken ribs and bruises to his lungs – and she could clearly be heard calling it her &#8220;favorite story.&#8221;
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
Here is the video: <a href="https://t.co/7ZC9v8hIW1">pic.twitter.com/7ZC9v8hIW1</a>
— Conservatism Prevents Tyranny (@SaveLibertyUS) <a href="https://twitter.com/SaveLibertyUS/status/1805259700633469178?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 24, 2024</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
&#8220;New details today on the incident that left Senator Rand Paul with six broken ribs — this might be one of my favorite stories,&#8221; Hunt began before frantically backpedaling: &#8220;Although, of course, we don&#8217;t – ah — want to — clearly, Senator Paul is still struggling.&#8221;
Hunt, who was working for MSNBC at the time, issued an apology a short time later: &#8220;There&#8217;s nothing funny about 6 broken ribs — my apologies to @RandPauI for suggesting on air earlier today there was. Hope your recovery is on the right track, senator, looking forward to seeing you in the hallways soon.&#8221;
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
There&#8217;s nothing funny about 6 broken ribs &#8212; my apologies to <a href="https://twitter.com/RandPauI?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@RandPauI</a> for suggesting on air earlier today there was. Hope your recovery is on the right track, senator, looking forward to seeing you in the hallways soon.
— Kasie Hunt (@kasie) <a href="https://twitter.com/kasie/status/932757177693024256?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 20, 2017</a></blockquote>
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Paul had brought up Hunt&#8217;s comments once earlier as well, in the aftermath of the attack on then House Speaker Nancy Pelosi&#8217;s husband in 2022: &#8220;I was caring for Rand as he struggled to breathe in terrible pain as you called his attack and injuries &#8216;one of my favorite stories&#8217; on air. Yet you still have a job,&#8221; she said at the time.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
I do too, <a href="https://twitter.com/kasie?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@kasie</a>. I was caring for Rand as he struggled to breathe in terrible pain as you called his attack and injuries “one of my favorite stories” on air. Yet you still have a job. <a href="https://t.co/t6KOlIQIAQ">https://t.co/t6KOlIQIAQ</a>
— Kelley Paul (@KelleyAshbyPaul) <a href="https://twitter.com/KelleyAshbyPaul/status/1586716798300442627?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 30, 2022</a></blockquote>
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Senator Rand Paul Talks With SiriusXM’s Olivier Knox And Julie Mason During A Town Hall Event In New York

Rand Paul’s Wife Torches Kasie Hunt For Complaint About Trump Spox ‘Attacking’ CNN Hosts

Rand Paul's Wife Torches Kasie Hunt For Complaint About Trump Spox 'Attacking' CNN Hosts

Dana Bash

Debate

Jake Tapper

Violence

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