Transcript of 'SWAMP TALK': GOP lawmaker slams Dems' 'constitutional crisis' claims

Thank you. Okay, so joining me now, Senate Majority Whip, John Barroso of Wyoming. Senator, welcome back to the show. Let's talk about that. You heard your colleague, Senator Caine, says this is going to be about tax cuts that benefit people who don't really need the help as much as some of your other constituents really do.

Well, what we've seen since President Trump took office are the Democrats running around like chicken littles saying the sky is falling and they're filing lawsuit after lawsuit because they want the border to remain open. They They want to have boys playing in girls' sports, and they want to spend money on things that people think are ridiculous. These transgender comic books, operas, surgery in foreign countries, all of these things are wrong. Anytime President Trump does anything, they call it a constitutional crisis. Look, that's swamp talk. President Trump ran to drain the swamp. That's what he's doing. He wants to keep money in the American people's pockets. He knows that's the way to keep prices down, to fight inflation, legislation. That's what he's committed to do. That's what Republicans are committed to do. You pointed out, Shannon, that the Democrats have been now screaming, Shut down the government, not because they want to help the American people, not because they want to help our men and women in uniform or for veterans, they want to do it to obstruct President Trump.

All right, Senator, what about what Senator Caine pointed out, worries about VA clinics, worry about Head Start programs, and about food and assistance. If there's so much slashing going on, he has a real concern that is being in a rather indiscriminate manner that is hurting American people.

Well, I think that what we've seen from the DOGE is that there is massive waste and fraud in government spending. We need to make sure that the money is spent wisely, and we've seen it's been spent indiscriminately. Government is too big. It spends too much. When it does that, that drives up prices on American families. We need to cut through the waste that we see that the Democrats continue to defend. We've talk about research to cure cancer, liberal universities with billions of dollars of endowments, they get money, and 70% of that money for research goes to overhead slush funds. That's wrong. I think that what we're finding with Musk and with Doge is that this waste, fraud, and abuse, this may just be the tip of the iceberg. The people here in Wyoming love what President Trump is doing. They think he's heading in the right direction. They know that we have a smaller government, a more efficient government. It is better for the economy of people at home in America.

Okay, so let's talk about this. Usaid, there are concerns about cuts there, again, being with a sledgehammer rather than a scalpel. Politico says this, Critical US food and medical assistance to the world's poorest countries isn't getting through. Organizations that deliver the aid say they aren't getting paid. They're laying off workers and they can't get information from the US Agency for International Development. I brought this up with Speaker Johnson last week. It doesn't sound like whatever the confusion there for critical and life-saving treatments and aid has been ironed out. I've talked to people in some of these agencies. They're not doing anything to do with cultural wars or any of that stuff. They're worried about all the staff they're having to lay off, but more importantly, the end consumer, these people who see US diplomacy and goodwill worked through these programs that have now disappeared.

I talked to the Secretary of State, Marco Rubio, about this last week. The American people, Shannon, and you know this, are the most giving, generous, caring, compassionate people in the world. For years, we have contributed around the world and saved millions of lives. Usaid has gone rogue. They need to be reined in. Anytime we try to look at their funding, what we see is they put up a brick wall to prevent us from doing that. They've been funneling money to things that American people don't want it to go to over the years. Some of their favorite liberal causes skim money off the top. We need massive reform at USAID. I think it needs to be put under the Secretary of State's office so we can make sure that the human needs around the world are met, but these wasteful programs are moved away. In addition to this, you look at the United Nations and the money we spend there. I mean, that has turned into a gender and a climate organization. It is in everything. I think we have to take a serious look about the money we spend with the United Nations as well.

Okay, so while Doge is playing all of this out, there are concerns. I want to play something from your colleague, Democrat Senator Maggie Hassan, who echoed a concern that Senator Caine brought up.

If this committee and President Trump, though, actually wanted to reduce waste and fraud, they would work together to support and bolster Inspectors General. Inspectors General are indispensable watchdogs who identify multimillion dollar overpayments to big corporations. Exactly what Elon Musk claims he wants to root out.

So Inspectors General, are the eyes and ears for you as lawmakers about what's going on inside of these agencies. We talk about the 17 or so who were fired, and there are claims that it was not done in accordance with the law that you guys had passed there on Capitol Hill. Are you confident they will be reinstated, that somebody will replace them at least so you do have that accountability in a more neutral fashion from these IGs?

Well, the American people deserve accountability, and they're going to get it. The President had a right to do what he has done. I'm going to continue to support the efforts to have Inspector Generals there who to actually do the work that is needed, not to protect what's happening within some of these agencies. Because when you look about this massive amount of government spending that has gone on and the waste and the fraud and abuse, this has happened with those inspector generals in place. I think we need to do a better job at that.

Okay, I want to make sure to touch on tariffs. Lendingtree did this analysis of the states that would be hit hardest by the various tariffs that the President has proposed. We know many of them, there is a future deadline, so this may be a period of negotiation. But they found that Wyoming ranks number eight when it comes to how you'd be impacted. How concerned are you about the potential impact on your constituents who are already, like all Americans, struggling with grocery prices, with inflation, that thing? Your reaction to the terrifs with that in mind.

Well, I'm in Wyoming now, was at the grocery store yesterday and talk to people in Wyoming every single day. President Trump is right in saying he wants to protect American workers and strengthen our economy. In just about every speech he gave while running for election, he mentioned tariffs, so this should surprise no one. Tariffs will hold others accountable. This is about putting America first, and tariffs can be used as a tool and as a threat to make sure that we get the a proper treatment from other countries. President Trump also said he was going to use tariffs, and he's using them right now to secure the border from the north and the south and to prevent illegal immigrants coming in, as well as to prevent the fentanyl that is killing a thousand people a week in the United States. The people of Wyoming are fully in support of the efforts that President Trump is doing to strengthen our economy, strengthen America, and put America first.

Senate Majority Whip, John Barroso. Thank you very much for your time. We'll see you soon.

Thank you, Shannon.