The Bongino Brief: The Only People Who Love Crime Are Criminals!!!

Summary

Summary of "The Bongino Brief: The Only People Who Love Crime Are Criminals!!!"

Podcast: The Dan Bongino Show
Host: Dan Bongino
Network: Cumulus Podcast Network
Release Date: February 22, 2025

Introduction

In the episode titled "The Bongino Brief: The Only People Who Love Crime Are Criminals!!!", Dan Bongino delves into a critical analysis of government inefficiency, political corruption, and the pervasive myths surrounding fiscal responsibility within the Democratic Party. The discussion is interspersed with segments from Stephen Miller, though these are primarily promotional and are excluded from the main content summary.

Main Themes and Discussions

1. Critique of Criminals and Government Corruption (00:26 - 02:05)

Dan Bongino opens with a provocative statement:
“Only people who love crime are the freaking criminals because that's where they make their money, from the crime because they can't do anything else.” (00:26)

He asserts that criminal activity is not only prevalent but thrives due to systemic issues within the government. Bongino suggests that both liberal and Republican establishments are complicit in fostering environments where corruption can flourish.

2. Government Fraud and Waste (02:04 - 03:53)

Bongino shifts focus to the broader issue of government fraud and financial mismanagement:
“Cutting government, criminal fraud, waste, garbage, junk payments, overspending...” (02:05)

He emphasizes the popularity of efforts aimed at reducing government inefficiency, even among those who typically support government spending. According to Bongino, addressing these issues could attract a significant number of Democratic voters who are disillusioned with excessive government expenditure.

3. Potential Political Shifts with Trump’s Policies (03:06 - 05:00)

Bongino theorizes that if former President Donald Trump implements substantial government spending cuts:
“Donald Trump, if he continues with Elon and for four years cleans out this government mess and saves a couple trillion dollars... could steal a huge chunk of Democrat voters.” (02:45)

He posits that such fiscal reforms would not only stabilize the economy but also enhance Trump's popularity, potentially making him one of the most beloved presidents in modern history.

4. Debunking the Clinton Surplus Myth (05:58 - 11:14)

A significant portion of the episode focuses on dismantling the widely held belief that President Bill Clinton left office with a budget surplus. Bongino presents evidence to the contrary:
“There was no Clinton surplus. You can read the whole article, but you don't need to. All you need to do is look at this data from the government itself. You will notice every single year of the Clinton presidency... the government ran a deficit.” (10:22)

He references an article titled "The Myth of the Clinton Surplus" by Craig Steiner, which systematically analyzes fiscal data from Clinton's administration, revealing consistent yearly deficits contrary to popular claims. Bongino argues that the narrative of a surplus is a deliberate political fabrication aimed at portraying Democrats as fiscally responsible.

Supporting Quotes:

• Dan Bongino:
  “Bill Clinton, didn't he lose his law license? I mean, Bill Clinton is on video you can play right now... he left office with high 50s, low 60% approval.” (03:06)
  “There was no Clinton surplus... Newt Gingrich and Clinton did a decent job on that. Period. Full stop.” (07:08)

• Michael Bennett (Congressman from Colorado):
  “When Bill Clinton, a Democrat, left the presidency, he left behind a surplus.” (07:09)

• Margaret Hoover (Republican):
  “You served in the Clinton administration, which of course was the last administration with the help of a Republican Congress to achieve this historic budget surplus.” (07:58)

Bongino uses these quotes to illustrate the bipartisan reinforcement of the surplus myth, highlighting how even Republicans like Margaret Hoover contribute to its perpetuation.

5. Implications for Future Governance (08:09 - 11:14)

Concluding his argument, Bongino underscores the importance of fiscal responsibility and transparency:
“Government spending was much lower. No doubt about it... There was never a surplus. This is one of the biggest but most persistent lies in politics.” (08:09)

He urges listeners to critically evaluate political narratives and seek out factual data over partisan rhetoric. Bongino emphasizes that understanding the true state of government finances is crucial for informed voting and effective policy-making.

Conclusions and Insights

Dan Bongino effectively challenges long-standing political myths, particularly the notion of a Clinton-era budget surplus. By presenting factual data and deconstructing misleading narratives, he advocates for greater accountability and efficiency within the government. His analysis suggests that significant fiscal reforms could reshape political dynamics, potentially swaying Democratic voters towards Republican fiscal policies centered on reducing government waste and preventing fraud.

Notable Quotes with Timestamps

• Dan Bongino:
  “Only people who love crime are the freaking criminals because that's where they make their money, from the crime because they can't do anything else.” (00:26)
  “Donald Trump... could steal a huge chunk of Democrat voters and could leave office one of the most popular presidents in modern times could.” (02:45)
  “There was no Clinton surplus... There is a great article. I cannot recommend this article in strong enough terms.” (07:08)
  “Government spending was much lower. No doubt about it. Newt Gingrich and Clinton did a decent job on that. Period. Full stop.” (08:09)

• Michael Bennett:
  “When Bill Clinton, a Democrat, left the presidency, he left behind a surplus.” (07:09)

• Margaret Hoover:
  “You served in the Clinton administration, which of course was the last administration with the help of a Republican Congress to achieve this historic budget surplus.” (07:58)

Final Thoughts

This episode of "The Dan Bongino Show" serves as a critical examination of government fiscal policies and political narratives. By debunking myths and presenting factual data, Bongino encourages listeners to adopt a more informed and skeptical view of political claims, particularly those related to government spending and economic management.

For those interested in delving deeper into the topics discussed, Bongino references additional resources, including his newsletter and the article "The Myth of the Clinton Surplus" by Craig Steiner, which provides an in-depth analysis of the fiscal records during the Clinton administration.

Transcript

[Dan Bongino]

Have you seen the news from some.

[Stephen Miller]

Economists forecasting a depression by the year 2030. Some are even forecasting that Social Security and Medicare are headed to hit a breaking point. Our national debt and cost of living continue to rise. We can have a big problem. Help protect your family's future with gold from Birch. Gold held in A tax deferred IRA. Text DAN to 989-898. Get your free copy the Ultimate Guide for Gold in the Trump Era with a forward by Donald Trump Jr. Text DAN to 989-898 message and data rates apply.

[Dan Bongino]

Dan Bongino, welcome to the Bongino Brief. I'm Dan Bongino. Only people who love crime are the freaking criminals because that's where they make their money, from the crime because they can't do anything else.

[Stephen Miller]

Sounds like a lot of our corrupt politicians.

[Dan Bongino]

Here's Stephen Miller again. You really want to be on the wrong side of this? Take Dame James Carville's advice. Democrats, I know you won't, but don't just stand there, do nothing.

[Stephen Miller]

Check this out.

[Unknown Speaker]

We are talking about performing a basic anti fraud review to ensure that people are not engaging in large scale theft of federal taxpayer benefits. I mean, for example, we pay billions of dollars a year in child tax credit payments to illegal aliens. Billions with a B. So these are systematic programmatic reforms that we're talking about here.

[Dan Bongino]

Okay, I'm about to blow your minds.

[Stephen Miller]

With a segment maybe a little dramatic.

[Dan Bongino]

I don't want to be over this top and hyperbolic.

[Stephen Miller]

I hate exaggeration for effect.

[Dan Bongino]

However, this is a segment that has fascinated me forever because I'm going to prove to you that cutting government, criminal fraud, waste, garbage, junk payments, overspending, you know, missing account transactions, missing payment fields. This is so unbelievably popular that even people you think would support excessive government spending. Democrats? No, they're liberals? Yes. Radical Democrats? Yes. There is a huge chunk of the Democrat Party. Let me. I'm being too verbose. We can steal a bunch of Democrats.

[Stephen Miller]

Votes if we win this argument.

[Dan Bongino]

I know that sounds crazy and I promise I'm about to back up what I say with receipts. Opinions are bullshit. All that matters is receipts. I'm going to back it up for you right now. Donald Trump, if he continues with Elon and for four years cleans out this government mess and saves a couple trillion dollars over four years or more, he is going to steal a huge chunk of Democrat voters and could leave office one of the most popular presidents in modern times could. Okay, back it up. Big claims like that require what?

[Stephen Miller]

That's right, folks in the chat, big evidence. So here it is.

[Dan Bongino]

You ever wonder why Bill Clinton, obviously a Democrat, left office at close to 60% approval? Ladies and gentlemen, Bill Clinton. There was actual biological evidence of him committing sex acts in the Oval Office.

[Stephen Miller]

It's not funny.

[Dan Bongino]

But Bill Clinton, didn't he lose his law license? I mean, Bill Clinton is on video you can play right now. I did not have. Have sexual relations with that woman. And then what, a year later? Well, you know, had sexual. I'm sorry, Bill Clinton left office. Look it up. With high 50s, low 60% approval. Do you have any idea how high that is in a country that's basically 50? 50, meaning a lot of Republicans liked what Bill Clinton did. A good chunk of them and a whole ton of Democrats did. How is that Bill Clinton, between Rose Law Firm, Whitewater, you know how many scandals him and Hillary had? Hillary care blows up. Why did he leave office? I'm going to tell you why right now and I'm going to put the.

[Stephen Miller]

Numbers to back it up.

[Dan Bongino]

Here is Bill Clinton in his own words talking about how important it is to make government more efficient and cut the Fed. Bill Clinton, the Democrat.

[Stephen Miller]

Check this out.

[Bill Clinton]

First, I am ordering a reduction of the federal bureaucracy by at least 100,000 positions over the next four years. At least 10% of these cuts must come from senior management. These cuts will make our government more efficient and more effective. The government is full of dedicated people whose hard work is being choked off by our own bureaucracy. Second, I'm ordering each federal department and agency to reduce its administrative as opposed to its program cost by 12% over the next four years. With better planning and innovation, we can make better use of the money we already have. In many agencies, overhead is too high, red tape is too thick, and the day to day operations of the agencies have not been reexamined in a very long time.

[Stephen Miller]

More in a minute.

[Dan Bongino]

But first, have you seen the news.

[Stephen Miller]

From some economists forecasting a depression, not a recession, depression. By the year 2030, we could be in a perfect storm if Social Security and Medicare hit a breaking point. With the largest generation hitting retirement, smaller workforce usually means a smaller tax base. Pair that with our growing national debt and rising cost of living, we could have a really, really big problem. So what are you doing now to protect your family for the future? Well, gold has been a safe haven in hard economic times. And Birch Gold makes it easy to diversify a portion of your savings into physical gold. Birch Gold will help you transition an existing IRA or 401 into an IRA in gold and it doesn't cost you a penny out of pocket. Help protect your future today. Text Dan to 989-898. Get your free info kit on gold and a copy of the Ultimate Guide for Gold in the Trump Era with a forward by Donald Trump Jr. There's no obligation, only information. I buy my gold from Birchgold. You can trust them to text my name, Dan to the number 989-898 today. Message and data Rate supply Folks, this.

[Dan Bongino]

Guy engaged in a sex act with an intern and lied about it under oath in the Oval Office. And he left office with 60% approval. Why? Why? Well, I'm going to attribute this to Bill Clinton's efforts. Let's be clear. Let's be absolutely clear so there's no misinterpretation. Bill Clinton was a Democrat and will always spend like a Democrat. Newt Gingrich and the Republican Congress pushed him into some spending controls. But to be fair to history, Bill Clinton signed the budgets and it happened. We're not going to lie about stuff like the Democrats. The Democrats used to celebrate the mythical Clinton surplus too. Here is a Democrat congressman from Colorado, Michael Bennett. I say the mythical Clinton surplus because you've heard it a thousand times, right, that Bill Clinton ran a government surplus. I'll get to that in a second. But Democrats used to realize that people don't want governments going into piles of red ink. Here's a color. These are quick. Colorado Democrat again, celebrating the Clinton surplus.

[Stephen Miller]

Check this out.

[Michael Bennett]

I want to paint a very brief history for you because I think it's worth remembering this contextually. When Bill Clinton, a Democrat, left the presidency, he left behind a surplus.

[Dan Bongino]

Okay, he didn't leave behind a surplus. But you get my. You see what I'm trying to get out here. The Democrats are not stupid. They fully understand that the very rational, reasonable, educated American voter is not interested in endless piles of government reading. So much so that that Democrat, Michael Bennett is celebrating that Bill Clinton ran this mythical surplus. Here's Margaret Hoover, a pretty mainstream Republican. She's doing an interview with Robert Rice. We don't need to hear from him. But here she is too. You know, again, not some far right MAGA person or whatever like that. Not that that's even a fair characterization, but you get the point. Talking about the mythical Clinton surplus.

[Stephen Miller]

Check this out.

[Margaret Hoover]

You served in the Clinton administration, which of course was the last administration with the help of a Republican Congress to achieve this historic budget surplus.

[Dan Bongino]

Okay, there was no Clinton surplus. So I'm going To make two points for you. It seemed contradictory here, but they aren't. The first one, a Democrat, Bill Clinton left office with unbelievable approval ratings despite a multitude of scandals. I'm telling you because of his efforts to trim government, which led to a pretty decent growth rate while he was in office. Point number one. In other words, if Donald Trump does the same thing, we can steal some of those Democrat voters and carry that over hopefully into A Don Trump Jr. Eric Trump or J.D. vance presidency. Next. We can steal so many Democrat voters on the spending issue. I know it sounds crazy, but. But they used to run on this. And the second point I'm going to make is the Clinton surplus is a myth and I don't want you to fall for it. It is a yes, government spending was much lower. No doubt about it. Newt Gingrich and Clinton did a decent job on that. There was never a surplus. This is one of the biggest but most persistent lies in politics. Bill Clinton and Newt Gingrich did a decent job on spending. Period. Full stop. That's not open for debate. There is a great article. I cannot recommend this article in strong enough terms. I used to put this in the show notes four or five times a week. You want it, go to my newsletter, bongino.com newsletter sign up. It's free. It's going to be linked there. Just go today and do it and save this article. It's called the Myth of the Clinton Surplus. The article is from almost 20 years ago. It's by this guy, Craig Steiner. But it is worth your time. There was no Clinton surplus. You can read the whole article, but you don't need to. All you need to do is look at this data from the government itself. You will notice every single year of the Clinton presidency from 93 to 2000 that the government ran a deficit. 281 billion, 2812-501881-13130,017.9 billion. So if that's every single year of the Bill Clinton presidency.

[Stephen Miller]

Excuse me.

[Dan Bongino]

So if the government ran a deficit every year, a deficit means they didn't have enough money, which is the opposite of a surplus. Is anything I'm saying confusing to the libs? They got close in 2000 where they only ran a basically $18 billion deficit. There was never a surplus. So Dan, why do they keep talking about a surplus? Because of Social Security and Medicare funds that were basically stolen. Read the article. There was never a surplus. If there was a surplus, the freaking deficit would have gone down. And would have been a surplus. No year of the Clinton presidency was there a surplus. There was a deficit every single time. They were small. Good for them.

[Stephen Miller]

It's not real.

[Dan Bongino]

Don't fall for it. Don't be a sucker. Read this guy's article the Dan Bongino Show.

[Stephen Miller]

If you'd like to hear more, subscribe to the Dan Bongino show wherever you get your podcasts.