MxM News

Quick Hit:

In a Friday interview with Fox News, President Donald Trump ripped Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky for mismanaging billions in U.S. aid, accusing him of having “pissed away” the money.

Key Details:

• Trump told Special Report host Bret Baier that Zelensky “pissed away” the aid money and claimed that $60 billion checks were cut “every time” the Ukrainian leader visited Washington.

• “I think he’s the greatest salesman in the world. Far better than me,” Trump said, while sharply criticizing the lack of accountability in Kyiv’s use of U.S. funds.

• Trump called out the Biden administration’s approach of sending “just checks” instead of equipment and argued that Ukraine has treated the U.S. “worse” than European allies.

WATCH IN FULL: @POTUS sits down with @BretBaier in Abu Dhabi for a wide-ranging interview on this week's historic trip to the Middle East, foreign policy, trade, and much more. pic.twitter.com/87aBDO6mfi

— Rapid Response 47 (@RapidResponse47) May 17, 2025

Diving Deeper:

President Donald Trump delivered a pointed rebuke of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky during a sit-down interview Friday on Fox News, blasting Ukraine’s handling of U.S. financial support and questioning the integrity of how billions in aid have been used. Speaking with Special Report host Bret Baier, Trump didn’t mince words: “What bothered me—I hated to see the way it was, you know, excuse me, pissed away,” he said, referring to the Biden administration’s approach to sending unchecked funds to Kyiv.

Trump repeatedly pressed his concern about the lack of oversight, claiming that each time Zelensky traveled to Washington, “checks were sent for $60 billion.” He continued, “Where is all this money going?” emphasizing that Washington has been writing blank checks while Europe contributes far less to the war effort.

The president dismissed Baier’s attempt to pivot the conversation toward Russian President Vladimir Putin, stating, “Wait,” and reiterating his view that the U.S. has been “treated worse” than European nations by the Ukrainian government. “We send checks. We don’t always send equipment. We send—just checks. We send — just cash,” Trump said. “Where is it?”

As the U.S. inches closer to exhausting its current pool of congressionally approved Ukraine aid—with roughly $175 billion authorized since Russia’s invasion began in February 2022—Trump’s frustration reflects growing skepticism among many conservatives about the return on that investment.

Trump also floated the idea of a swift peace negotiation with Putin, expressing confidence that a face-to-face meeting could bring the war to a close. “I think we’ll do it fast,” he said. “I think he’s tired of this whole thing. He’s not looking good, and he wants to look good.”

From the Daily Caller News Foundation

By Wallace White

U.S. Navy Secretary John Phelan took aim at the rampant waste in the Navy during a Wednesday posture hearing with the House Appropriations Committee.

Phelan and acting Chief of Naval Operations Adm. James Kilby laid out the Navy’s bloated acquisitions contracting system and inefficient workforce, which employs 56,000 people but only processes two contracts a month per employee on average. Phelan, a former Wall Street executive, stressed his mission is to cut waste and utilize his unorthodox background to promote efficiency in keeping America’s Navy ready to fight and win wars.

Phelan said the Navy processed a total of 217,000 contracts in 2024, with an average employee processing 34 in total.

“I’ll also be honest, when I look at our contracting, it’s poor,” Phelan said during the hearing. “We don’t control our [intellectual property]. We can’t repair stuff. We don’t have very good penalties built in for lack of performance. These are all things we are going to really try to change.”

Phelan already slashed a slew of Navy programs in April in the name of cost savings, worth a grand total of $568 million, according to DefenseScoop. In the hearing, he expressed interest in shrinking the overall workforce while maintaining vital employees.

The secretary also pledged to have the Navy pass a financial audit, even as the Pentagon failed its seventh consecutive audit in 2024. The Defense Department’s budget is set to balloon to over $1 trillion in 2026 as the various branches of the armed forces jockey for funding.

“Accountability is not just a regulatory requirement. It is the bedrock upon which we will build a stronger, more efficient Navy and Marine Corps,” Phelan said in the hearing. “Under my leadership, the Department of the Navy will achieve a clean audit, following the example set by the Marine Corps, which has completed two consecutive unmodified audits.”

While the Navy struggles with overspending and a bloated contract system, it is also struggling to put ships in the water at a time when China is being aggressive in the Pacific Ocean.

The Navy has struggled to maintain its existing ships, while new ships have been plagued by massive delays, with some contractors extending their deadlines for ship delivery by up to three years. China maintains the upper hand in military shipbuilding, surpassing the U.S. Navy’s total ship count in 2020 with 360 ships compared to just 296 in the U.S. fleets, according to a January Congressional Research Service (CRS) report.

Phelan and Kilby aim to shift the Navy’s focus towards shipbuilding to fulfill President Donald Trump’s executive order calling for increased ship production.

“I will lead this department with three focus areas that will guide our Navy and Marine Corps: strengthen shipbuilding and the maritime industrial base, foster an adaptive, accountable, and innovative warfighter culture, improve the health, welfare, and training of our people,” Phelan said during the briefing.