Lydia Moynihan, a New York Post correspondent, blasted a CNN panel for caring about fiscal responsibility only when it comes to defense spending, and for that matter, defense spending in support of Israel, while ignoring entitlement spending, which makes up the bulk of the national debt.
The irony is striking, especially as entitlement spending is far less effective at achieving its goals than U.S. military spending.
I appreciate the Democrats' newfound fiscal responsibility, but the vast majority of our debt and deficit comes from entitlements, not defense spending.
— Lydia Moynihan (@LydiaMoynihan) March 20, 2026
They're suddenly budget hawks when it comes to national security but silent on the $2+ trillion we spend on social programs… pic.twitter.com/WBeFx7vpog
"So first way I'd say fundamentally the role of the government is to protect and defend its citizens, and the artificial intelligence, the weaponry that we're deploying is astonishing and what we're able to accomplish," Moynihan told the CNN panel.
"What I'd also say is that it's interesting that now Democrats are outraged about spending money on war. We spent $175 billion on Ukraine, where we weren't even in. Nancy Pelosi rallied for it, it said that was a victory for democracy," she added.
Later, writing in a post on X, she said:
I appreciate the Democrats' newfound fiscal responsibility, but the vast majority of our debt and deficit comes from entitlements, not defense spending. They're suddenly budget hawks when it comes to national security but silent on the $2+ trillion we spend on social programs and the $500+ billion that is wasted on fraud each year (per GAO).
U.S. entitlement programs, primarily Social Security, Medicare, and Medicaid, far outpace defense spending in the federal budget, accounting for more than half of federal outlays, yet still fall short of their stated goals of delivering sustainable retirement security and efficient healthcare.
Despite the massive funding, they continue to struggle with long-term solvency, waste, and outcomes that simply don’t match the promises made by the Democrats who championed them.
As for defense spending, yes, there is waste, but few would argue that the United States military is anything less than the strongest in the world, or that it lacks the capability to defeat any of its foreign adversaries.
As is usual, Democrats grab on to anything for a cheap shot against Republicans, and especially President Trump.