A new controversy for Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth has arrived, this time in data from a startling report detailing that the department spent $93 billion in the fiscal year ending last September. That amount is more than the Pentagon has spent in any other year since 2008, with a generous portion of it considered wasteful spending.
According to reports, the government watchdog group Open The Books did a full tally of the spending, noting that the Department of Defense operates under a “use it or lose it” approach that could foresee them losing surplus money granted to them for operations and a reduced budget for the next year.
That apparently prompted a slew of purchases such as a $98,329 Steinway & Sons grand piano for the home of the Air Force’s chief of staff, $5.3 million for Apple devices including the latest iPad, and $4 million for Samsung products.
Food buying stood out, as the report noted that the DoD spent $6.9 million for lobster tails and another $2 million for Alaskan king crabs. There was also $15.1 million shelled out for ribeye steak, $124,000 for ice cream machines, and $139,224 on 272 orders of doughnuts, along with $1 million for salmon and $262,000 for sushi preparation tables.
The furniture expenses also raised some eyebrows, as the Pentagon spent $225 million with $12,000 for fruit stands and $60,000 for Herman Miller recliners. As the New Republic noted in its report, this all took place before millions of Americans lost their SNAP benefits during the longest government shutdown on record.
While some defended the food purchases as necessary for those in the armed forces, others were appalled at Hegseth’s exorbitant spending. They also noted that the excesses are in sharp contrast to what President Donald Trump touted as a campaign promise since his first term, which is to cut wasteful spending by the government. Currently, the federal government has a $1.8 trillion deficit, which could be exacerbated by the current war with Iran.
1. Jemele Hill
