Jon Stewart sparks debate as he exposes Pentagon's $1.7T F-35 program failures, calls for accountability

LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA: In a recent episode of 'The Weekly Show,' Jon Stewart delivered a scathing critique of the Pentagon's management of the F-35 jet program, highlighting its exorbitant costs and persistent critical issues.

According to Mediaite, Stewart, known for his sharp wit and keen scrutiny of governmental affairs, expressed incredulity upon learning that the F-35 jets, valued at $1.7 trillion, are grounded due to malfunctioning software.

Jon Stewart slams Pentagon's oversight and costly F-35 program on 'The Weekly Show'

During the episode, Stewart brought on Quincy Institute's Bill Hartung and Bloomberg's Roxana Tiron to delve into what he termed the "military-industrial complex" and the lack of oversight surrounding Pentagon expenditures.

He underscored the Pentagon's notorious failure to pass an audit, emphasizing that this financial opacity raises serious concerns about waste and mismanagement within the defense budget.

"The F-35 works, what, 20% of the time? When does it work? 10%? 15%? Does it work at all?" Stewart asked incredulously.

"It’s currently stacked up in a locked tarmac because delivery cannot be accepted on them because the software doesn’t work," Tiron disclosed during the show.

Stewart burst into laughter, quickly giving way to frustration. "We had a child tax credit that reduced child poverty significantly, costing a fraction of this jet program. Yet, we can't even get the software to work?" he exclaimed.

Escalating costs and functionality failures expose the F-35 program's troubles

Further adding to the gravity of the situation, Tiron explained that not only are billions of dollars being spent on the production of these jets, but trillions more are projected for their lifetime maintenance.

"We had a child tax credit that cost $94 billion… that reduced child poverty by 30%. We couldn’t keep that going as a country and yet we have this $1.7 trillion boondoggle, and they can’t, what, get the sonos to work it?" Stewart said. "Like, the software doesn’t work…that’s insanity!"

Stewart seized upon this point, displaying a clip from a previous interview where he grilled Deputy Secretary of Defense Kathleen Hicks about the Pentagon's failure to account for its expenditures.

In response, Hicks defended the Pentagon's audit challenges, which Stewart labeled as "amazingly condescending."

“There is a lot of waste, fraud, and abuse in the system,” Stewart told Hinks.

“Audits and waste, fraud, and abuse are not the same thing, so let’s decompose these pieces,” Hinks said, adding that not passing an audit is “not suggestive” of waste, fraud, and abuse.

Jon Stewart challenges the Pentagon's lack of financial transparency and accountability

Stewart argued that while not passing an audit and lacking actual tracking of money may not equate to “waste, fraud, and abuse,” it’s certainly a red flag.

Stewart's critique continued as he pointed out the hypocrisy of being labeled as hostile for questioning Pentagon spending practices, especially in light of the troubled history of military interventions and massive defense contracts.

"Even questioning where our tax dollars go is seen as a hostile act," Stewart lamented, highlighting the disconnect between accountability and the military establishment.

"If you don’t know where $400 billion is, how do you know it’s being spent effectively or the way it was intended?" Stewart asked.

As the episode concluded, Stewart left viewers with a poignant reflection on the broader implications of unchecked military spending. "When we can't ensure basic accountability for billions or trillions of taxpayer dollars, it's not just a red flag—it's a glaring failure of responsibility," Stewart asserted.

Jon Stewart sparks diverse reactions on military spending and defense program issues

The comments encompass a broad range of viewpoints regarding Jon Stewart's discussion on military spending and the effectiveness of defense programs.

One user wrote, "MAGA's hate the military-industrial complex on behalf of Russia. Lefties hate the MIC on behalf of the working class and infrastructure."

Another said, "It must be nice to live in a bubble and suddenly find chit out years after that fact.The damn thing was built in 2006 and has nothing but problems ever since. Welcome to the real world JON!" [sic]

One user replied, "Most Trumpeters work for less than tips." Another user commented, "Trump wanted to nuke hurricanes. Now that’s bonkers!!"

One user added, "Trump does really well in states where the age of consent is lowest."

A user replied, "Outside of a MAGA rally you rarely see this level of ignorance." Another added, "We are doomed."

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