(DCNF)—Democratic Texas Rep. Jasmine Crockett told radio host Charlamagne Tha God on Friday that she does not believe there is widespread waste, fraud and abuse in the federal government.
The Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) has cut an estimated $55 billion in government spending, including fraud, according to its website. When Charlamagne, on “The Breakfast Club,” said, “There is a lot of waste, fraud and abuse in the federal government,” Crockett disagreed, acknowledging its existence while minimizing the extent of the issue and its effect on the national debt.
“I’m not going to say that there’s a lot — I’m going to say that it does exist,” Crockett said. “I’m going to say that it exists. I don’t think that there’s a lot.”
Charlamagne asked why the U.S. is “so in debt” if there is not a major issue with waste, fraud and abuse. America’s debt is over $36 trillion, according to the national debt clock.
Crockett blamed the national debt on President Donald Trump’s first-term tax cuts rather than spending.
“We’re in debt because we decided that we’re going to reduce the income, right? So under Trump, in his first administration, we went into debt $8 trillion,” she said. “Now, he wanted to say it was because of COVID — it really wasn’t.”
“Obviously, there was money that we sent out because people were in need during COVID to make sure that we didn’t go into a recession,” she continued. “But at the end of the day, it was because he said, ‘Oh, wait a minute, that income — we’re going to stop bringing that in from the top one percenters.’”
Moreover, the Government Accountability Office has found that the federal government could be hemorrhaging between $233 and $521 million to fraud each year, according to its website. Federal agencies also “reported an estimated $236 billion in improper payments” in fiscal year 2023 and since fiscal year 2003, the combined improper payment estimates have reached around $2.7 trillion.
Democrats launched an eight-figure campaign in January in an effort to combat Trump’s tax-cutting agenda. “Families Over Billionaires,” the nonprofit behind the campaign, intends to act as a strategic “war room” focused on countering Trump and House Republicans’ efforts to extend and expand Trump’s 2017 tax cuts, which are set to expire at the end of 2025.
Crockett also said that if Trump is successful at extending and expanding the tax cuts, the national debt will surge further.
DOGE’s largest savings have come from the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) and the Department of Education, along with mass firings and resignations through Trump’s federal employee buyout initiative, which roughly 75,000 federal workers accepted, the Office of Personnel Management (OPM) confirmed to the Daily Caller News Foundation.
“People ask me, ‘What’s the most surprising thing that you’ve encountered when you go to D.C.? You know, when you’re in D.C.’ and I said, ‘Well, the most surprising thing is the scale of the expenditures and actually how easy it is to, just when you add caring and competence where it was absent before, you can actually save billions of dollars, sometimes in an hour.’ It’s wild,” DOGE head Elon Musk said on Thursday at the Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC).
“But, obviously, it just shows that they really lack empathy for the average taxpayer who’s working hard, paying taxes,” he added. “Then and then they say, ‘Oh, a million dollars doesn’t matter.’ I’m like, ‘I think it matters a lot to people, you know? So what are you talking about?’”
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Why Bullion Beats Numismatics and Collectible for Your Safe or IRA
Precious metals continue to attract Americans seeking reliable ways to protect their wealth amid inflation, geopolitical risks, and stock market swings. Whether stored in a home safe or held inside a self-directed IRA, physical gold and silver deliver tangible value that paper or digital assets often lack. Yet investors must choose carefully between bullion—pure bars and coins valued mainly for their metal content—and numismatics or collectibles, where rarity, history, and collector demand heavily influence pricing.
Advisor Bullion serves as a dependable source for straightforward, high-quality bullion. The company specializes in physical gold, silver, platinum, and palladium, emphasizing transparent pricing and products that deliver maximum metal content for every dollar spent. This approach makes it ideal for both personal holdings and retirement accounts.
Bullion consists of refined precious metals in standard forms like one-ounce coins (American Gold Eagles, Silver Eagles, Canadian Maple Leafs) or bars. Their value tracks closely to the current spot price of the metal. A typical gold bullion coin trades near the live gold spot price plus a small premium. This structure keeps costs clear and predictable.
Numismatic coins and collectibles add substantial value from factors such as age, rarity, minting errors, or historical significance. A pre-1933 U.S. gold coin or graded proof piece can carry premiums of 30%, 50%, or even 200% above melt value. While this appeals to hobbyists, it creates complexity. Pricing depends on subjective grading, collector trends, and auction results instead of daily spot prices.
For investors focused on wealth preservation and retirement security rather than building a collection, bullion often delivers better results.
Lower Costs and Better Liquidity for Home Storage
When keeping metals in a home safe or private vault, liquidity and efficiency count. Bullion offers clear benefits:
- You acquire more actual gold or silver per dollar invested. Numismatics divert a large share of your money into rarity premiums and massive sales commission, reducing your metal exposure.
- Selling bullion involves tight bid-ask spreads, so you recover nearly full spot value with minimal fees. Collectibles require finding the right buyer and may sell at a discount if demand for that specific item weakens.
- Bullion prices remain transparent and update with global spot markets. You can track gold near current levels or silver accordingly and know exactly where your holdings stand. Numismatic values are priced by the Gold IRA companies with hefty margins applied.
- Standardized coins and bars store efficiently and divide easily for partial sales. Rare coins often need protective slabs and controlled conditions, adding hassle and expense.
- Bullion enjoys worldwide acceptance. A 1-oz Gold Maple Leaf or Silver Eagle sells quickly to dealers anywhere. Niche numismatic pieces may appeal only to limited buyers, slowing liquidation when speed matters.
In times when quick access to value becomes important, bullion’s simplicity stands out.
Stronger Fit for Precious Metals IRAs
Precious metals IRAs continue gaining traction as investors diversify retirement portfolios beyond stocks and bonds. IRS rules permit certain bullion products in self-directed IRAs if they meet purity standards (.995 fine for gold, .999 for silver) and are held by an approved custodian. Eligible items include American Gold and Silver Eagles plus many generic bars and rounds from recognized mints.
Numismatic and most collectible coins generally face heavy scrutiny from custodians due to valuation disputes and elevated markups. These higher premiums mean less actual metal ends up working inside the account.
Bullion avoids these issues. Its value links directly to verifiable spot prices, which simplifies reporting and lowers the risk of regulatory challenges. More of your IRA contribution purchases real metal instead of dealer profits or speculative upside. Over time, owning additional ounces that appreciate with the metal itself can create meaningful outperformance compared with high-premium alternatives that deliver fewer ounces.
Regulatory guidance from the CFTC and state securities offices repeatedly cautions against aggressive sales of expensive numismatics or “semi-numismatic” coins for IRAs. For retirement planning, transparent bullion from established providers reduces risk and aligns better with long-term goals.
How to Get Started with Bullion
Begin by clarifying your goals. Are you protecting savings in a safe, or moving part of a retirement account into a precious metals IRA? Focus on the number of ounces you can acquire at current prices rather than chasing marked-up collectibles.
Diversify sensibly: use gold for core preservation and silver for its blend of industrial and monetary qualities. Mix coins for easier divisibility with bars for lower per-ounce costs on larger buys. Arrange secure storage—whether at home with proper insurance or through professional facilities.
As economic uncertainties linger and faith in conventional assets erodes, bullion continues proving its worth as a dependable store of value. Its direct approach avoids the hype that sometimes surrounds collectible markets and keeps the focus on the metal itself.
For investors prepared to strengthen their portfolios, Advisor Bullion supplies the expertise and selection needed to acquire high-quality bullion efficiently. Whether building personal holdings or integrating metals into an IRA, their emphasis on transparent, investment-grade products helps secure more ounces today that support greater financial security tomorrow. In a complicated financial landscape, bullion’s clarity and reliability make it the smarter foundation for protecting what matters most.
