Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth speaks as President Donald Trump, left, listens at the Shield of the Americas Summit at Trump National Doral Miami in Doral, Florida (AP Photo) US Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth reportedly led the Pentagon, approving more than $93 billion in massive spending, including luxury foods, musical instruments and technology, months before launching attacks on Iran and Venezuela.
According to an analysis by Open the Books, a US government watchdog, the Hegseth-led Pentagon spent approximately $9 million on crabs and lobsters in September during the end of the 2025 US fiscal year. the independent reported.
Under U.S. government policy, departments must spend their annual allocated budget by September 30 or lose the funds. Data from Open the Books revealed that Hegseth’s Pentagon spent $93.4 billion in September 2025 on grants and contracts, which was the most spent by any department or agency on a one-month timeline.
A review of Defense Department spending revealed that in September last year it spent about $6.9 million on lobster tail and $2 million on Alaskan king crab. The department also spent $15.1 million on ribeye steaks, $1 million on salmon and $26,000 on sushi preparation tables. daily mail reported.
The report added that the Pentagon spent a lot on desserts: $124,000 on ice cream machines and $139,224 on donuts. Aside from food, the Defense Department spent nearly $6 billion on information technology and telecommunications.
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According to the report, US Defense Secretary Hegseth spent $5.3 million on Apple devices, including new-generation iPads.
The Pentagon also reportedly paid more than $225 million for furniture, including $12,540 for fruit basket stands and $60,000 for Herman Miller recliners, a high-end furniture maker. The department reportedly spent more on furniture in 2025 than it has since 2014.
This comes ahead of the US military operation in Venezuela in January, where they captured the country’s deposed leader, Nicolás Maduro, and a joint operation with Israel against Iran that was launched on February 28 under Operation Epic Fury.
