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good tuesday morning. thanks so much for joining us. i'm maria bartiromo. it is tuesday, february 18, it is 8:01, hot topic of the hour department of governmental efficiency revelation it found 55 billion dollars in taxpayer savings seeks to access data for irs audit next, "fox business" hillary vaughn live on capitol hill with the latest. >> good morning doj posteding their wall of receipts we know where 55 billion dollars in savings is going from lot from weeding out waste canceling

contracts earned needed the number will grow as doj is crowdsourcing their search look for people like each government agency to report waste today doj could get access to the irs sensitive payment system that holds taxpayer records something that has even doj friendly democrats turning against them senator fetterman saying i want to save billions of money make government efficient, rummaging through personal stuff is not that other democrats looking for courts do stop musk. >> already lost -- filed on this that just like with the irs data, the court a court will find that, no you can't just start rifling around rummaging through social security data. >> musk hitting back at tax wants to snoop through tax information at irs or social security if i want to rum ailing through random personal stuff i would have down that he at paypal hello, having

tens of millions marked in social security alive when definitely dead is a huge problem are those say doj druchting irs is a wen for americans have not been served well with status quo. >> the irs is a porous sive they have to show up for work, you know how many united states congressmen take up to six months to get a dad gum response that is not acceptable the citizen could go years. >> make changes will pay before doj mairt payments at treasury denied need tied to budget item tracking payments conducting audit almost impossible no i americans can track where spending is going. maria: unbelievably, social security checks to people 150

years old is beyond, thank you so much hillary vaughn with the latest there, and liz a post between elon musk and cory booker says barely three weeks in trump laying groundwork to allow staggering levels of corruption to occur in u.s. deposit elon musk answers if anyone knows about corruption it would be how you, how much has your wealth increased in politics, round numbers would be fine. >> how come a sitting congressman or senator making 200,000 dollars a year how do you boost you are a multimillionaire. liz: pocking the bear so many enemies against corrupt class i think targeted incessantly vilified by left that is dangerous stuff he is doing

because yeah, guess what? behind waste and fraud people committing waste ant fraud someone benefiting from all this we saw u.s. aif -- real invasions tremendous amounts of money going to lowest leaning kind of like clinton foundation hofrts people out of work democrats, so fort this is all so corrupt, and the fact that they are resisting it tells you everything you need to know it really does elon musk departments of government efficiency revealed millions listed in social security database between ages 100 and 159-year-old old one person listed as 360 years old!! to be clear the oldest american citizen is 114 years old by i would googled it, okay 114 years old good for her but

numbers, are just the result of automatic checks going out. president trump reportedly appointing leland dudek as act it is social security administration commissioner former lead head of social security administration resigned following a clash with elon musk over the weekend. doj also finding 4.7 trillion dollars in treasury pailts missing a tracking code supposed to have tracking code links them to each budget line-item, but they don't the code so makes that money nearly importable to trace doj pofrtdz on x, about symbol saying optional to fill in often left blank, saturday now a required field, chris. chris: reasonable to be required if you spend 4.7 trillion dollars should have to put a code in the idea country built an for about these, built on transparency saying we have person out there poking around, how many

mba's has elon musk signed certainly keeping this confidential but i think country not going to tolerate it as continues to expose more and more corruption, idiocy 5 trillion dollars unaccounted for, 330-year old person, receiving -- that is generations of social security fraud, talking points going -- the democrats have to get eye board goersing to look like they are trying to slow this down and corrupt white is goings to look like for sure. >> also reminding us how aggressively they tried to stop trump cheryl, now i know why they wanted to stop him aggressively. cheryl: all that donald trump doing owed consultant like any good ceo would do okay you are separate from my business you don't the vested interest but elon musk not only richest man in the world -- could get to your point paypal, but the other issue is what they need

what they are going to bring in should, especially at social security irs treasury need visualization of the treasury payment system point tied back to social security issue with paper checks a whole nother story kneess forensic being accountants programs look like they got off a starbucks, you know rampage, but look, these are ones going to come in actually open the books because nobody understands the algorithms anymore it is a morass at the government nobody understands systems elon musk pofrtdz that, on social media he said this is insane. >> we are getting started this hour, a quick break then tensions are rising as iran warns israel and united states cannot stop tehran's nuclear ambitions derrick is here to react about the when we come right back don't miss it you are watching "mornings with maria" live on "fox

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lavrov. . maria: welcome back, israeli prime minister benjamin netanyahu praising president trump's plan to rebuild gaza saying committed to trump's revolutionary vision two nations forming a joint strategy to completely different gaza making meeting with secretary of state marco rubio in juice aluminum yesterday a joint commitment to stopping iran, comes as senior iranian officials warn u.s. and israel cannot do a damn thing quote/unquote about tehran's nuclear ambitions joining me wisconsin congressman house armed services committee member, congressman, good to see you. thank you for being here you are in jerusalem right now what thank you tell us about next steps and the next phase of the is it ceasefire? >> well, i am in jerusalem right now had fantastic

meeting with the speaker of the knesset over an our scruffing strategic,, initially trying to get a much better handle on the need to recover you hostages primary focus was on iran, i am going to be explicitly clear to mullahs o professing irrain yorn people sponsoring terror around the world the united states i would say will do anything it takes to prooefbt from you having a nuclear weapon could be done through diplomatic channels if not every single option is on table with president trump and prime minister neta netanyahu, signed an order to -- the maximum pressure on iran stopping from able to

sell oil to friends like china. what else does the government or congress need to do, in order to stop the nuclear capability? >> we need to make sure, that the israeli government has as many munitions as they first and foremost to continue to fight hamas and homeland security if they need to strike into iran to prevent people from getting nuclear weapons we need to facilitate that maker we have intelligence capability they have intelligence capability to take care of initials we might have, again i want to be exreplies itly clear to mullahs in iran every option on the table to prevent them from getting a nuclear weapon. maria: what are other options we haven't seen discussed? >> well other options would be military options. so again i spent entire adult life at war as navy seal don't

want unioningmen in harm's way if we can do this applying maximum pressure president trump is spaeb about that is what we should do, again, we cannot trust iranian regime to have nuclear weapon they will use it, so if that means kinetic strikes into iran that is what it is going to take about what we are going to do utmost confidence president trump is going to prevent them from getting a nuclear weapon >> do you support israel knocking out morning that you capabilities are capabilities they know where they're to go in there blow up nuclear armament do you support that. >> if they sense a rush to getting irwritten aians enrich plenty they have do to have that so support any option whatever it is going to take

to make sure they never have a nuclear weapon i don't thick i can be more clear. >> president trump's security team in saudi arabia speaking with russian officials how to end war in ukraine ukraine will not be part of the meeting president zelenskyy says not taking a ceasefire deal if not at table european leaders held an merger summit on ukraine and paris yesterday eu commission president called for surge in defense spending i want your take on parameters around russia-ukraine sayings thy my sources tell me conditions on u.s. side for yooik including that ukraine must transfer, 50% all revenues from resource extraction lies to united states, they are talking about creating investment fund for reconstruction, that will have the power exclusive power to

issue i think a managed misses or resource extraction, president trump saying okay. we will support ukraine but not going to do it not get anything out of it. u.s. has right of first refusal to purchase minister exported before ukraine can sell to other countries your reaction do this what the conversation is, between these russian and -- and u.s. officials? >> well, i am not privilege i've to specific negotiations but i understand, the people that are doing it i trust them, listen. if capable of defending yourself paying for defending yourselves you should, it is that simple. so if -- ukraine has the able to do to self-fund their defense then they need to i would like to say something to you european counterparts you are a decade right imagine what the positivesture security posture in europe would look like if all members of nato promises 10 years ago

contracting 2% of gdp germany still not going it the trust but verify now getting together saying they are going to take down more, we are in verify portion, sitting around the table take take care of business not taking care of business i look forward to working closely with union allies they are truly our allies they need to help themselves to greatest extent that they can. >> headlines from marco rubio meeting says that -- they've agreed on four principles with russians in riyadh talks, rubio says he will appoint teams to reestablish the functionality of missions in d.c. and moscow, u.s. national security adviser michael waltz says there needs a permanent end to the ukraine war walz said there will be talks about territory and security guarantees, and that trump is determined to move very quickly. he can secretary of state rubio said agreed on four

principles with you russians in riyadh talks we are waiting to see what those principals are will appoint teams to reestablish functionality of missions in dy and moscow i any interesting what united states is saying to ukraine they want 50% of all revenues from resource extraction lines, u.s. trying to modernize our military i spoke with lucky on "sunday morning futures", u.s. buy military drones from china, watch this -- >> we need to take control of destiny with regarded not just drones but critical high tangibling our military depends on our law enforcement against on, yeah. we buy a lot of chinese drones gets worse most computers in united states even most critical military applications made in china, hollowed out by globalism outsourced all ability to make things that allow us to control our

destiny we are -- forced into chinese drones exercisers, censors, you have done trshl service for our country thank you for that how do you feel when you learn that u.s. military uses droned my by dji a chinese communist party company? >> i feel the same way that you do. we've got to understand, unless we control our own military industrial complex, then someone else does, by definition the chinese communist party should not be person in charge of our military industrial complex, they should not they are not our friends. so i mean to me will have baffling that we are gearing up getting postured to potentially be involved in a

global conflagration trying to avoid to depend on people running no way to run a railroad we need all capabilities back home do it as soon as possible. maria: all right. . >> one of the smartest guys i have met. >> was great so leap to have him on on sun on this program soon we'lls congressman, good to see you, sir, thank you derrick man ordin, gold prices record gains markets investors are watching president trump tariff plans with one eye on gold fundstrat global manager here to read tea leaves on markets you are watching "mornings with maria" live on "fox business" stay with us.

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the way i approach work post fatherhood, out of five client satisfaction rating. has really trying to understand the generation that we're building devices for. here in the comcast family, we're building an integrated in-home wifi solution for millions of families like my own. in the average household, there are dozens of connected devices. connectivity is a big part of my boys' lives. it brings people together in meaningful ways. maria: welcome back. let's check futures this morning, after markets closed yesterday for the presidents' day holiday and now stocks are rallying this morning, we are expecting a gain start of trading with futures indicating a gain about 87 points on dow nasdaq up 100 right now, s&p 500, up 24 right now. of course, stocks green -- across the board this year on top of moves last year, the

dow industrials up almost 5%, year-to-date, the s&p and nasdaq up almost 4% year-to-date. joining me now fundstrat globals advisories managing director global i had technical strategy mark newton thank you so much for being here i know you've been looking at lots of bullish signs how do you see markets in 2025? >> yeah, look. markets continue resilient, i know only seen about almost a 4% gain in s&p but go a market correlations have fallen very low levels a stockpickers market i know sectors like financials follow suit carrier higher now technology, the best performing sector last week x lk a lot of renaissance optimistic spent

pessimistic key, investors what uncertainty about tariffs possibility of inflation as we know with art of the deal that creates a bullish a environment skepticismism people on sidesline you write initial break out look to new highs late 2024 requires consolidation tell me specifically the most bullish signs break out sectors for that you say look poised to move higher. >> technology has come back strongly many investors are starting to diversity away, thinking magnificient 7 is overpriced, you know stands to potentially pull back on semiconductors i like tech i think tech along with industrial financials discretionary top for investors the s&p made a to me

all-time record weekly high close people aren't talking about right now, everybody talking about tariffs, flaishgs but the fact is the market has completely ignored, all of these things until it you know, becomes a concern for the market investors really do not want to concentrate on anything like this but we use the skepticism as a way to position, and be long in the market so i think we are getting ready for a may have larger move up to sided next few months s&p likely to 6650 between now and the middle part of the year, so, i know, some recent last couple days might need to be console dedicated, momentum great shape, seasonality positive snenlt quite pessimistic mostly retail side, institutions started to put more money to work but in general, those factors leave me with really not a whole lot of reason to be too concerned

particularly with junk yields still at record highs. >> sounds terrific when i zero to semis, tech winners specifically like nvidia, it is up about 2% year-to-date so really lagging, of course, that lost 750 billion dollars market value following launch of ai start-up deepseek. the journal rights nvidia sell-off admit set better stage for chip product transition as ai race intensifies projecting 53% revenue growth wrest competitors trailing i know you have seen a broadening out beyond magnificient 7 what do you do if you hold names up so much. >> yeah, we heard all the competitors nvidia most companies meta, al by the all mention nvidia in earnings calls, so the fact that we're concerned about nvidia through

deepseek is probably wrong, this remains one of the better spots within the entire semiconductor space with broadcom, tsm, you have to be more selective when owning semiconductor group i like software personally shown a lot better strength than semiconductors positioning stocks like palantir, the right thing despite overbought, stocks that have given you no reason to want to tell technically until that changes one wants to be positioned in the sales for those.com the palantirs, very much a moment factor led throughout couple years throughout last decade, ripe, really, overweightment as factor a reason why you want technically analyzing in stocks with strength not buying stocks deep down near 52 week loss not a great way of picking stocks.

maria: that is why we want to tap into your incredible expertise you've been so right about this market so long what do you make of gold? i mean you've got gold up 7 weeks in a rowe, investors are looking at you know the president's tariff plans even though, was pretty bullish because they see it as an out -- a longer term strategy rather than imposing immediate measures reciprocal tariffs on longer term basis that is holding gold up this idea okay. you want to hedge your bets here? >> what is holdings gold up specifically is a shortage of physical gold a difference in the spread between gold and comex in new york versus gold in london, about 20 dollars that is a pretty big spread normally when that happens all dealers that have been, lending out gold, selling futures in u.s. are finding

physical shortages having to buy back, and you know honestly, silver to me makes a little bit more sense at current levels usually a strong correspond lakes between gold and silver silver industrial capacity the dollar starting to roll over across the board, i expect gold and silver to do well silver cheaper, physically a lot pert risk reward in my view especially minor signs every china coming back silver. >> silver, silver better than gold we will watch that. thanks so much. >> mark newton from fundstrat. we'll be right back.

we'll be right back. (shower water runs)

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correspondings.

. maria: welcome back. the hand gains challenging traditional sports getting big backing 1789 capital among top investors coleading multimillion-dollar did he if you think round allowing top athletes to compete using performance enhancing drugs in controlled state environment 1789 capital co-founder chief investment officer thanks for being here you co-founded with malik, donald trump, jr., also a partner tell us why you want to support enhanced gaming does it give everyone opportunity on the same page or is one on these boosters others aren't? >> you know we supported this really excited about it for a couple reasons we started, 17 9 capital with idea that

we could innovate push forward boundaries what is possible invest in ai, defense tech but the central people in if we innovate people can living longer, live healthier smarter could run faster, run faster is really kind of central to what we see as enhanced games, like all drug o littlics wrap not true what we are talking about athletes being able to use substances commonly available legal people take in everyday lives, as example, a band substance amino acid people like in lives to around long, long joint venturity, it occurs naturally in the body leads to better human

performance things linings here money placement therapies tv advertised people can bring them we want to see what science allows human body to do want to see where that can take sports show a first enhanced gaming to kick off later this year or early 2026, i know will introduce a precompetition medical profile into how athletes present health revisions tell us more about that what can we expect from this event. >> this is one of the things supering from this not just about the athletes like olympic sports, going to open up interesting therapies, an ways to experiment in restaurant method great athelitists go going show to people regimens, they can say i am taking this peptide or doing this therapy, going to be totally transparent what we're going to see other people able to follow see what

works what doesn't, in real time. >> we will be able to see, okay. we look forward to that critics thank you so much. we will be watching, joining us this morning we so appreciate your time sir, quick break working with doj to claw back biden's green money including 20 billion dollars in climate funding, environment protection agency administer lee zeldin here with his work underway you are watching "mornings with maria" live on "fox business" stay with us. . (vo) explore the world the viking way from the quiet comfort of elegant small ships with no children and no casinos.

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administrator. . >> welcome back epa administrator lee zeldin to claw back 20 billion dollars in o money rushed out by i abide administration to fund so-called clean energy and transportation projects, this comes as epa cancels another 600,000 dollars in media subscription following more than 400,000 dollars going to politico zeldin says biden administration tried to rush out 20 billion in epa money says was found in gold bars, at a financial institution joining me the man epa administrator lee zeldin good to see you, thank you so

much for being here, want to get back to the clawing back of the 20 billion first what happened to money? yanked was it in gold bars tell us what happened. >> this started a couple months ago a video came out of a biden epa political appointee talking about how they were throwing gold bars off titanic rushing to get billions every dollars out the door i was going through confirmation process at the time senators had seen this concerned asking me to commit if confirmed would i make it top priority to make sure that we were getting full account to go do something about it absolutely. i even said that during my confirmation hearing itself. so what i spent weekend doing, i finally got hands on financial agent agreements between treasury and bank account control agreements amended account control agreements general counsel reviewers tightening is wilds,

it is done in race to get 20 billion dollars out the door before inauguration day, and it is in writing built to ensure that government would have as little accountability over this money as possible. maria: that is just incredible to rush money out so president trump can't get hands on it you cannot yesterday lands on it last night on kudlow a guest said not free to access. >> doug will we claw back 20 medicined slush fund that they found ad epa only fiveing seconds. >> no. >> really? won't happen? >>. out the door out the door. >> what do you say to that. >> this weekend i spent a lot of time talking to justice department, and the department of treasury, and whole lot of

people in the trump administration, who disagree. and we are working, as hard as we possibly can to ensure not only reasserting control over the funds that went out, but also account for the people who built this entire scheme in the first place we have a fiduciary duty to protect american taxpayer dollars i do not accept the premise that when we toss gold bourz off titanic trump administration will accept that. >> lee i want your take on how much waste there is, i mean the biden administration had a whole of government situation going on, that every agency was talking about climate change and everything agency sending out money to address this kwoest unquote massive crisis of climate change how much do you think was wasted in that regard. >> we're talking into tens of billions if not the more.

through inflation reduction act this was tax dollars it was 20 billion dollars to bank distribute to go 8 entities giving money to subgrant tees, of you kwovrd in issues through years where you have to diligently do research, and follow the money, to be able to have that level of accountability that working on not the just inside epa as you point out it is other agencies as well american public spoke last november 5 while they vote for president trump, people say they did not vote for elon musk all people to make government operate more efficiently, i would say many respects that is exactly what american public voted for, having a government that would be better stewards of tax dollars caring about the

economy one leashing energy dominance make sure cost-of-living lowered opportunities american public voted for we are doing jobs to fight to make sure there is accountability over took dollars. maria: well we all appreciate that, very much, i mean absolutely incredible whopper abide administration officials doing? other on that being asleep at the wheel, you're doing a job, president trump's team doing their job, and looking at finding all this quest under every rock elon musk is also talking about rampant fraud at social security administration, found millions of people listed in social security daib who are searching checks between ages of 100 and 159 years old okay? one person was listed at 360-year-old old lee, i mean, look. to be clear, there is -- the oldest person in america is 114 years old good for her. you posted on x, that doj

helped epa identify cancels nine wasteful dei environmental justice contracts saving 60 million dollars it cost tell us more. >> this is toward -- owned of last week canceled nine grants, about a 60 million dollars, this is funding that was going for dei i will environmental justice, and i would argue that if you are trying to provide environmental justice, you want to help a community, that you feel is being left behind then give the money towards mitigating environmental in issues that community, if you want to claim that a pot of money for that purpose ravr than will have the wing ideologues we canceled a 50 million dollar grant to climate justice alliance they say clielt justice runs through a free palestine you pointed out biden gave over

160 million dollars to did ian elect vivek manufacturer fronted 1260 million dollars bus company goes bankrupt, they still have not delivered on 56 million dollars worth of school buses for 55 school districts, 65 million dollars more of the american tax dollar wasted thank god for elon that team, and whole of government preach i say one thing you said where was biden administrationings were they asleep at the switch not only wide awake they are deliberately setting up designing schemes, to ensure that they can get out this money to their friends with as little over sooist as possible they knew exactly what they were doing. maria: that is just disgusting, and comes on top of the seven trillion dollars, that the democrats spent joe biden and kamala harris spent sent inflation soaring up to 9.1%, 40-year highs inflation

impacting every single american citizen in one way or another no worn we you took about 36 trillion dollars in debt this country faces, that the interest alone is the stienl largest item in the budget behind social security they 250uk about it as if they know what they are doing after sending outs wasteful money, energy second he can chris wright spoke at ai alones for responsible o citizenship forum in london called out to eliminate carbon commissions. >> it is unachievable -- [applause]. . >> aggressive pursuit of it sitting in a country that is aggressively pursued this not delivered benefits but delivered tremendous cost. >> you know this better than anyone the epa is now launching a new initiative to address u.s. energy dominance mermenting permitting probably one of the biggest issues the

fossil fuel industry faces, tell us more about the initiative lee. >> this is a mandate from american public to president trump this is a trump mandate, when president trump talks about ushering in a golden age american success, opportunity, he is talking about unleashing dominance making america ai capital one of the world bringing back american auto jobs regardless with a agency what ever your core mission is, we have to understand, that the american public spoke allowed and clear sxhooik concerns want government aware of concern employ solutions for what we've seen climate goals set dates in the future that are unattainable without -- what very -- purposefully without a doubt causing stream economic pain for people who can alleviate forward it when you play out what it means to hit that date some state puts on the books, or talking about

some other country, the only way to implement it to try to achieve it, to cause stream economic pain that people of your country stiet cannot afoured being in touch with that rehabilitate is essential. >> you must be having so much fun we so appreciate your time this morning thank youly. >> thanks, maria,. >> lee zeldin joining us epa we will be right back stay with us. aking to self) about our honeymoon. what about africa? safari? hot air balloon ride? swim with elephants? wait, can we afford a safari? great question. like everything, it takes a little planning. or, put the money towards a down-payment... ...on a ranch ...in montana ...with horses let's take a look at those scenarios. j.p. morgan wealth management has advisors in chase branches and tools, like wealth plan to keep you on track. when you're planning for it all... the answer is j.p. morgan wealth management.

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maria: welcome back. 30 minutes before the opening bell sounds on wall street. we've got a rally are underway for stocks, dow industrials up 78, nasdaq up strongly as well. final thoughts here, liz peek. >> elon musk is my hero, first, for protecting free speech and, secondly, for protecting taxpayer dollars, maria. hail, elon. maria: your thoughts, chris. >> the trump wave is real. defense if industry, energy and value retail are three places i'd put capital to work. maria: if cheryl. >> lee zeldin is having a lot of fun, and he's doing a great job. maria: look, between he as well as all of the agencies recognize ifing that elon's work and doge's work is real and significant, yeah. all right. we will see you again tomorrow. thanks so much for being here. "varney & company" picks it up now. stu, take it away. stuart: good morning, everyone. early this morning secretary of state marco rubio met with russia's foreign minister,