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Comedian and podcaster Tim Dillon is taking aim at President Donald Trump’s latest policy direction — accusing him of pulling off what he calls “the greatest scam in history” (1).
On a recent episode of his show, Dillon reacted to reports that Trump is seeking a massive $1.5 trillion defense budget — a figure that would mark a dramatic escalation in military spending.
“The White House seeks 1.5 trillion for defense in new budget request,” Dillon read, before adding, “They want to convert the country into a war economy.”
According to Dillon, the shift represents a stark departure from the “America First” message that helped propel Trump to power.
What appears to have struck a nerve most were Trump’s recent remarks suggesting the federal government may need to scale back its role in funding social programs — particularly as military priorities take center stage.
Dillon played the clip on his show, where Trump said, “The United States can’t take care of day care. That has to be up to a state… we’re fighting wars… it’s not possible for us to take care of day care, Medicaid, Medicare, all these individual things.”
For Dillon, that juxtaposition is exactly the problem.
“To run as an America First and you’re going to take care of America and then turn around and go … day care, Medicare, Medicaid, we have nothing to do with that. We’re fighting wars,” he said. “It is the greatest scam in history.”
Dillon isn’t alone in questioning the trade-offs between military spending and domestic programs.
Sen. Andy Kim (D-NJ), wrote on X, “For the cost of 3 weeks of this war, we could provide vision, hearing and dental coverage to every senior on Medicare for a year. It is possible. Trump just doesn’t care to do it” (2).
Dillon argues that while the U.S. has long been known for its military strength, prioritizing defense spending on this scale could carry consequences closer to home.
“You won’t have health care. You’re not going to have child care for your children… You’re not going to be able to have the money to put gas in your car to go to work and feed your family,” he said. “Instead, we want $1.5 trillion so that we can go around the globe, toppling empires and trying to suck up their resources.”
While Dillon’s comments are pointed — and reflect his own perspective — the broader issue he raises is one many Americans are watching closely: how government spending priorities shape everyday life.
Historically, periods of elevated military spending and geopolitical conflict have often gone hand-in-hand with economic uncertainty, including rising inflation and pressure on household budgets. That’s because large-scale defense outlays, combined with supply shocks tied to global conflicts, can push up the cost of energy, materials and goods — all of which eventually filter down to consumers.
With oil prices surging past $100 a barrel and $4 gas making headlines, those pressures are already starting to show up in everyday expenses.
That backdrop helps explain why some investors turn to hard assets during periods of geopolitical tension.
Ray Dalio, founder of the world’s largest hedge fund, Bridgewater Associates, has offered a blunt take on money during wartime environments: “As for investing, sell out of all debt and buy gold because wars are financed by borrowing and printing money, which devalues debt and money.”
He added that gold “is the coin of the realm during wars.”
Gold has long been considered a go-to safe haven. It can’t be printed out of thin air like fiat money and because it’s not tied to any single currency or economy, investors often flock to it during periods of economic turmoil or geopolitical uncertainty, driving up its value.
This is not a new view for Dalio. Last year, he told CNBC that “people don’t have, typically, an adequate amount of gold in their portfolio,” adding that “when bad times come, gold is a very effective diversifier.”
Despite a recent pullback, gold prices have surged by more than 50% over the last 12 months.
One way to invest in gold that also provides significant tax advantages is to open a gold IRA with the help of Priority Gold.
Gold IRAs allow investors to hold physical gold or gold-related assets within a retirement account, thereby combining the tax advantages of an IRA with the protective benefits of investing in gold, making it an option for those looking to help shield their retirement funds against economic uncertainties.
When you make a qualifying purchase with Priority Gold, you can receive up to $10,000 in precious metals for free.
Read More: I’m almost 50 years old and don’t have retirement savings. Is it too late?
Legendary investor Warren Buffett has also addressed how major conflicts can reshape the value of money.
“The one thing you can be quite sure of is if we went into some very major war, the value of money would go down — that’s happened in virtually every war that I’m aware of,” Buffett told CNBC in 2014, adding, “The last thing you’d want to do is hold money during a war” (3).
What should investors own then?
“You might want to own a farm, you might want to own an apartment house, you might want to own securities,” he said.
Over the years, Buffett has repeatedly highlighted real estate as a prime example of a productive, income-generating asset.
In 2022, Buffett stated that if you offered him “1% of all the apartment houses in the country” for $25 billion, he would “write you a check” (4).
Why? Because no matter what’s happening in the world, people still need a place to live and apartments can consistently produce rent money.
Real estate also provides a natural hedge against inflation. When inflation rises, property values often increase as well, reflecting the higher costs of materials, labor and land. At the same time, rental income tends to go up, providing landlords with a revenue stream that adjusts with inflation.
Of course, you don’t need $25 billion — or even to buy a single property outright — to invest in real estate today. Mogul, a crowdfunding platform, offers an easier way to get exposure to this income-generating asset class.
It’s a real estate investment platform offering fractional ownership in blue-chip rental properties, which gives investors monthly rental income, real-time appreciation and tax benefits — without the need for a hefty down payment or 3 a.m. tenant calls.
Founded by former Goldman Sachs real estate investors, the team hand-picks the top 1% of single-family rental homes nationwide for you. In other words, you gain access to institutional-quality offerings for a fraction of the usual cost.
Each property undergoes a rigorous vetting process, requiring a minimum 12% return even in downside scenarios. Across the board, the platform features an average annual IRR of 18.8%. Offerings often sell out in under three hours, with investments typically ranging between $15,000 and $40,000 per property.
You can sign up for an account and then browse available properties here.
Another option is Lightstone DIRECT, which offers accredited investors access to institutional-quality multifamily and industrial real estate — with a minimum investment of $100,000.
Founded in 1986 by David Lichtenstein, Lightstone Group is one of the largest, privately held real estate investment firms in the U.S., with more than $12 billion in assets under management.
Over nearly-four decades, their team has delivered strong, risk-adjusted performance across multiple market cycles — including a 27.6% historical net IRR and a 2.54x historical net equity multiple on realized investments since 2004.
With Lightstone DIRECT, you gain access to the same multifamily and industrial deals Lightstone pursues with its own capital.
Here’s the kicker: Lightstone invests at least 20% of its own capital in every deal — roughly four times the industry average. With skin in the game, the firm ensures its interests are directly aligned with those of its investors.
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The Tim Dillon Show (1); @AndyKimNJ (2); CNBC (3, 4)
This article provides information only and should not be construed as advice. It is provided without warranty of any kind.
