Ben Cohen, co-founder of Ben & Jerry’s, referred to the Pentagon’s budget as “a giant demon sucker tube” during an interview with Tucker Carlson on Monday. This comment comes as President Donald Trump announced plans for a 13% increase in defense spending, potentially surpassing $5 trillion. During the discussion on the “Tucker Carlson Show,” Cohen expressed concerns over how the U.S. allocates its budget amid the ongoing Ukrainian-Russian conflict.
Cohen suggested that the substantial budget doesn’t necessarily translate to advantages in areas like affordable housing, remarking, “We can have more affordable housing, and American dreams can still happen.” He added that there are ways to pursue higher education without such high costs, pointing out that many developed nations provide these services to their citizens, while the U.S. has different priorities.
In light of the president’s push for increased spending, it’s noteworthy that Trump had previously ordered a review of all defense acquisition programs in April. This situation raises questions about the future of the 90-day Secretary of Defense reviews for significant defense programs that exceed 15% of the budget.
For the fiscal year 2024, defense spending reached $874 billion, ranking among the top five government expenditures. According to Forbes, this spending follows Social Security and Medicare but leads other areas such as health and interest on debt. Cohen indicated that the majority of funding—represented by large portions in budget charts—goes to defense, with minimal allocation remaining for sectors like education and community development.
He referenced Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s 1967 speech, where King criticized the U.S. for allocating funds to the Vietnam War rather than addressing poverty. Cohen reiterated this, stating, “the Pentagon is this huge demon sucking tube that sucks the lifeline of things like a home, a school.” He lamented the persistent funding issues schools face, suggesting that it reflected a broader systemic problem.
In a separate development, Hegses issued a memo on Monday instructing the Department of Defense to reduce the number of active four-star military and general officers in the National Guard by at least 20%, alongside a minimum 10% cut for public and flag officers.
