Former aides to President Barack Obama admitted on "Pod Save America" that they should have done "some of the stuff" President Donald Trump is doing with the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE).
Discussing DOGE’s federal spending cuts, the "Obama bros" expressed regret. Jon Lovett, a former Obama speechwriter, admitted he "didn’t know" they could streamline the government so much.
"Honestly, some of this is pretty annoying because it’s some of the stuff we should’ve done. We didn’t know you could do some of this," Lovett said.
Jon Favreau, another former Obama speechwriter, echoed the frustration. He acknowledged the Obama administration tried to create efficiency but said it was no easy task.
"We all know that government is slow. We all know government can be inefficient. We all know that the bureaucracy can be bloated. We all worked in the f---ing White House. We tried to reorganize the government. We tried to find efficiency. It's hard to do," Favreau explained.
The podcasters also griped about outdated federal technology during the Obama years.
"The technology in the federal government, at least when we were there, sucked. There was no service in the basement of the West Wing. You couldn't use your phone because there was no service," Favreau said.
"Pod Save America" did not respond to Fox News Digital’s request for comment on which DOGE initiatives they wished they had implemented.
The podcast aired just before Trump signed an executive order Tuesday, directing agencies to coordinate with DOGE to shrink the federal government. This order follows recent budget cuts targeting DEI funding and migrant hotel bills.
The "Obama Bros" have made several media appearances recently, advising Democrats on political strategy during Trump’s second term. Former Obama spokesman and "Pod Save America" co-host Tommy Vietor even appeared on "Jesse Watters Primetime" last month to discuss the Democratic Party’s future.