The Department of War (DoD) under Pete Hegseth’s leadership is facing epic fury after reports suggest overspending on Alaskan king crab and lobster tails. Most notably, the DoD’s spending spiked in September 2025.
“No federal agency has ever spent so much on grants and contracts in a single month,” according to Open the Books. The NGO transparency group said that Hegseth’s department spent $93.4 billion on grants and contracts. This is the highest budget spent in a single month for the department since 2008.
But the online outrage was directed at the questionable food items. The DoD spent $2 million on Alaskan king crab, $6.9 million on lobster tails, $15.1 million for ribeye steak, $124,000 for ice cream machines, and $26,000 for sushi preparation tables in September. The NGO flagged that this is a pattern in Hegseth’s spending. They reported that he had also spent $7.4 million on lobster tails in March, May, June, and October of 2025.
Nevertheless, it is common practice for government agencies to overspend to avoid budget cuts in the next year. The spending shot up in September 2025 because it was the last month of the fiscal year. Additionally, Trump opted to increase funding for the DoD from $1 trillion to $1.5 trillion in January 2026. A nutritious meal for the troops isn’t out of reach with the budget increase. Regardless, a plan should be in place before funding is granted.
There’s absolutely nothing wrong with providing military personnel top-notch dining options. However, a lavish meal doesn’t mean it meets nutritional requirements. To blow the budget only at the end of the fiscal year is counterintuitive to providing consistent, healthy meals. It’s no different from eating fast food for a whole year except for one day, when fine dining becomes an option.
Online blowback from military feasting
News of the DoD’s spending reached social media. Many took offense to the thought of Hegseth blowing the budget on lavish food items. Additionally, information that the DoD bought a $98,329 Steinway & Sons grand piano for the Air Force chief of staff has also riled people up.
One X user wrote, “Remember when they defunded food for hungry children a few months ago?”
Rep. Mark Pocan from Wisconsin also gave his thoughts, saying, “Pete Hegseth blew through more money at the Pentagon in a month than any single point since the height of the Iraq War. What did he spend our hard-earned tax dollars on? Ribeye, lobster tails, and a $99,000 piano.”
He adds, “This is the definition of waste, fraud, and abuse. We must hold them accountable.”
The last meal
Another user, claiming to be a veteran, gave a different perspective. She argued, “If millions are being spent on steak and lobster, that’s a reflection of the deployment-happy mindset of this administration.”
A former Marine Corps captain explained that a “surf and turf” meal often comes before an impending military operation. This is to boost the morale of the troops that will be deployed. Would it be so shocking that Operation Epic Fury came right after this much military spending on lavish food items?
From that perspective, it’s hardly surprising. If there were no plans for military action, perhaps the budget increase and the way it has been used would have been suspiciously synonymous with “fraud, waste, and abuse” of public funds. But with the war in Iran taken into consideration, the luxurious selection of delicacies eerily mirrors a last meal.
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