Us Military Spent $9m On Crab Legs And Lobster In Run Up Before Launching Attack On Iran: Report

Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth’s Pentagon apparently isn't emotion nan aforesaid affordability struggles arsenic galore mean Americans, arsenic he approved spending much than $93 cardinal successful September, including connected luxury nutrient items and iPads.

A caller study published by authorities watchdog Open nan Books recovered that successful September — nan extremity of nan 2025 fiscal twelvemonth — Hegseth reportedly burned done cash, including spending $9 cardinal connected crab and lobster dinners.

According to Military.com, an summation successful subject officials eating pricey meals has traditionally been viewed arsenic a motion that something whitethorn beryllium brewing — specified arsenic President Donald Trump’s warfare successful Iran — though it appears Hegseth has been eating good astatine nan Pentagon since astatine slightest past spring.

The spending reappraisal recovered that successful nan period of September alone, nan Defense Department spent $6.9 cardinal successful full connected lobster tail and $2 cardinal connected Alaskan king crab, according to nan authorities watchdog. In 2025, nan section besides spent much than $7.4 cardinal connected lobster tail crossed nan months of March, May, June and October.

The decadent seafood wasn't nan only costly sustenance purchased astatine nan Pentagon. Hegseth besides spent astir $15.1 cardinal connected ribeye steak successful September, $124,000 for caller crystal pick machines, and $139,224 connected doughnut orders.

Due to nan measurement national backing works, location is unit connected section heads to extremity their fiscal years without a surplus of funds. If they do, it raises questions successful Congress arsenic to whether aliases not nan agency aliases section needs a simplification successful its yearly budget.

That said, immoderate of nan purchases are lavish. In September, Hegseth spent astir $100,000 connected a Steinway & Sons expansive soft to outfit nan location of nan Air Force main of staff. He besides spent $5.3 cardinal connected Apple devices, including brand-new iPads, according to nan report.

The Pentagon paid $225.6 cardinal for furniture, including $12,540 for consequence handbasket stands and much than $60,000 for high-end furnishings shaper Herman Miller recliners.

The agency spent much money connected furnishings successful 2025 than it has since 2014.

To beryllium adjacent to Hegseth, nan subject has been spending tremendous amounts of money connected furnishings for decades. According to nan analysis, nan Defense Department has spent an mean of $257.6 cardinal connected furnishings each September since 2008, marking a 564 percent connected mean summation supra its emblematic furnishings spending passim nan year.

And Hegseth isn't really nan worst offender; erstwhile President Barack Obama routinely spent betwixt $300-$400 cardinal connected furnishings successful September during his years successful office, according to nan report. Spending connected furnishings decreased nether President Joe Biden, though it's worthy noting his first 2 years saw galore national labor moving from location owed to nan coronavirus pandemic.

The Pentagon's astir costly spending spree during September was connected grants and contracts. In that period alone, nan Defense Department spent much than $90 cardinal connected grants and contracts.

In nan past 5 moving days of September alone, nan study says nan section spent $50.1 cardinal connected grants and contracts, which is much than nan yearly defense fund of countries specified arsenic Israel and Italy.

“Under Secretary Hegseth, nan Pentagon has consistently said its ngo is to refocus connected warfighting and lethality,” Open nan Books CEO John Hart said successful nan analysis. “Last year, we highlighted nan problem of wasteful use-it-or-lose-it year-end spending. We noted that this betterment is afloat wrong nan secretary’s power and is simply a historical opportunity to make bully connected that promise.”

California Governor Gavin Newsom drew attraction to nan Pentagon's spending successful a social media post featuring an AI-generated image of Hegseth kicking backmost successful a posh recliner surrounded by a expansive piano, galore iPads, and plates filled pinch lobster tail and steak.

"HEGSETH BLOWING $93 BILLION OF TAXPAYER DOLLARS IN 1 MONTH !!" nan station said.

Congresswoman Melanie Stansbury, a New Mexico Democrat, said she planned to motorboat an investigation into Hegseth’s spending.

“In summation to billions of payer dollars being burned successful this warfare successful Iran, reports are showing that Sec. Pete Hegseth blew $93 cardinal successful national DOD backing astatine nan extremity of past year,” she wrote connected societal media earlier listing his various expenditures. “You amended judge we’ll beryllium investigating.”

Democratic Congressman Chuck Schumer called Hegseth a “grifter” connected societal media.

“Hegseth spent $93 cardinal successful 1 period – astir nan costs of extending nan ACA taxation credits for THREE YEARS. But alternatively of lowering American’s healthcare costs, Hegseth utilized millions of payer dollars connected consequence baskets, Herman Miller recliners, crystal pick machines, Alaskan King Crabs, and a Steinway & Sons expansive piano,” he wrote. “A existent grifter successful each consciousness of nan word.”

The Independent has requested remark from nan Department of Defense.

In February 2025, Hegseth said he welcomed a “Department of Government Efficiency” reappraisal of defense spending to thief him find ways to trim waste.

“We request to cognize erstwhile we walk dollars, we request to cognize wherever they’re going and why that elemental accounting, and that has not existed astatine nan Defense Department,” Hegseth told Fox News astatine nan time. “We’re going to hole that.”

The Pentagon's spending spree came conscionable weeks earlier millions of Americans mislaid entree to their SNAP nutrient benefits, leaving nan states to capable successful nan gaps.

Now, six months later, Americans are learning nan astronomical costs of Trump and Hegseth's warfare successful Iran.

The U.S. subject has utilized an estimated $5.6 cardinal worthy of munitions during nan opening 2 days of nan warfare pinch Iran, according to authorities officials who said to nan Washington Post.

Trump has insisted that nan warfare successful Iran — which has already killed 7 U.S. work members and injured astir 140 others — will beryllium complete quickly, but has provided nary timeline aliases scheme of action indicating that nan U.S. is preparing to retreat from nan conflict.