The Daily Herold: May 21, 2025 – VA Secretary Doug Collins on Veterans, Waste, and Constitutional Roadblocks

In a milestone episode of The Daily Herold, Jon Herold welcomes special guest VA Secretary Doug Collins, marking the show’s first sit-down with a Trump cabinet official. Collins offers a candid look at the challenges of reforming the Department of Veterans Affairs, including widespread bureaucratic waste, contractor overreach, and union-protected inefficiencies. He addresses the media's misleading claims about budget “cuts,” emphasizing that Trump’s proposed VA budget actually increases funding while slashing misused resources to prioritize real patient care.

The conversation dives deep into broader constitutional dysfunction, as Collins critiques Congress’s failure to legislate, the judiciary’s national injunction abuse, and the difficulty of governing when the executive branch is isolated by coordinated opposition from other institutions and the media. Collins also confirms the VA is actively exploring alternative treatments like cannabis and psychedelics for PTSD and brain injury, offering cautious optimism for innovation in veteran care.

Herold rounds out the show with segments on Trump’s “Golden Dome” missile defense initiative, Senator Rubio’s surprising reformist stance, the Biden administration’s mounting narrative collapse, and the DOJ’s investigation into Cuomo. It’s an unfiltered, insight-packed episode for anyone interested in real reform, from the VA to the Constitution itself.