'Obama Bros' on DOGE: 'Some of the stuff we should've done'

[P. Coonan]

'Obama Bros' on DOGE: 'Some of the stuff we should've done'
'We tried to find efficiency. It's hard to do,' says former Obama aide

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" they could make government so
efficient.

"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."

DOGE SLASHES OVER $100M IN DEI FUNDING AT EDUCATION DEPARTMENT: 'WIN FOR
EVERY STUDENT'

Obama Bros
From left, Jon Favreau, Jon Lovett and Tommy Vietor at Politicon at
Pasadena Convention Center in Pasadena, California, on July 29, 2017.
(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 the f---ing White House. We tried to reorganize the government.
We tried to find efficiency. It's hard to do," Favreau said.

$1,300 COFFEE CUPS, 8,000% OVERPAY FOR SOAP DISPENSERS SHOW WASTE AS DOGE
LOCKS IN ON PENTAGON

'Pod Save America' live image
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.

Trump signs executive order
President Donald Trump signs an executive order pausing the Foreign
Corrupt Practices Act in Washington, D.C., on Monday. (Reuters)

The "Obama Bros" have been on the 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.

https://www.foxnews.com/politics/obama-bros-doge-some-stuff-we-shouldve-
done

[v***@at.BioStrategist.dot.dot.com]

THat doesn't surprise me. Many policies FDR criticised Hoover for, FDR also
did. (I think Hoover slaughtered pigs and FDR slaughtered cattle, to up the
price) Many policies from Carter were continued under Reagan (esp Latin
America democratisation). And so on. Life is not as political as it seems.
Necessity usually prevails.