Washington Shake-Up: Justice Pushes Back on Spending Critics
Newly elected Sen. Jim Justice, R-W.Va., is making waves in Washington, openly expressing his astonishment at the Democratic opposition to cost-cutting measures championed by former President Donald Trump and tech mogul Elon Musk.
Elon Musk speaks as US President Donald Trump looks on in the Oval Office of the White House in Washington, DC, on February 11, 2025. (JIM WATSON/AFP via Getty Images)
Speaking on “The Faulkner Focus” on Friday, the former West Virginia governor did not hold back. “I’m a new kid on the block in the Senate,” Justice said. “Watching the liberal Democrats in Washington, D.C., is absolutely shocking to me.”
A staunch ally of Trump, Justice has thrown his support behind the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) Initiative, a sweeping effort to curb federal spending and eliminate wasteful programs.
Slashing Waste: The DOGE Initiative’s Bold Moves
Justice recently joined 25 other Republican governors in backing DOGE, a plan that has already resulted in the cancellation of millions in federal grants. Among the cuts was over $100 million previously allocated for diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) training at the Department of Education.
(Senator Jim Justice – nbcnews.com)
“We don’t need to be sending tens of millions of dollars to people to teach them about Sesame Street, or tens and tens and tens of millions of dollars to terrorist groups to absolutely teach them DEI,” Justice argued, citing wasteful spending uncovered by DOGE.
DOGE’s aggressive push has already led to the termination of 58 federal contracts, saving taxpayers an estimated $150 million. Trump has praised the initiative, touting its efforts to expose “massive amounts” of government fraud and inefficiency.
Democratic Resistance & Justice’s Response
Despite these cuts, Democrats have pushed back, defending DEI training and other initiatives as essential for fairness and inclusion in federal agencies. Justice, however, sees their resistance as an endorsement of government waste.
“Why in the world would you absolutely defend this unbelievable amount of waste? And they continue to do it,” he said, frustrated by the opposition.
He also criticized Democrats for attempting to incite fear among Americans. “They’re running through the streets with their hair on fire, trying to whip people up,” he said. “That was their election strategy, and they got their doors blown off.”
Justice made it clear that he believes the American people have spoken by electing Trump and his administration. “At the end of the day, we elected President Trump—let him do his job,” he said. “For crying out loud, let him get his team in place and let him do his job.”
As the political battle over government spending rages on, Justice remains firm in his stance: it’s time to rein in spending, cut unnecessary programs, and let the Trump administration follow through on its plans.
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