California Gov. Gavin Newsom is taking aim at Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth after new reports revealed the Pentagon burned through an eye-watering $93 billion in September 2025. The spending spike, tied to the end of the federal fiscal year, has revived a long-running Washington problem – agencies rushing to spend leftover budget money before it disappears.
Newsom didn’t write a policy memo. He posted a meme.
The image showed Hegseth lounging in a recliner, plates of crab and steak nearby, surrounded by items mentioned in the spending report — fruit baskets, food, even a soft-serve machine. The caption in large block letters read, “HEGSETH BLOWING $93 BILLION OF TAXPAYER DOLLARS IN 1 MONTH!!”
The jab landed after a report from government watchdog group Open the Books detailed how the Department of Defense spent roughly $93.4 billion on grants and contracts during the final month of fiscal year 2025. The total marked the largest September spending surge the group has recorded since it began tracking Pentagon data more than a decade ago.
HEGSETH BLOWING $93 BILLION OF TAXPAYER DOLLARS IN 1 MONTH !! pic.twitter.com/L8GmyWQ2bt
— Governor Newsom Press Office (@GovPressOffice) March 10, 2026
End-of-year spending bursts are not unusual in Washington. Federal agencies operate under “use-it-or-lose-it” budget rules, which can create a scramble to commit remaining funds before the fiscal year closes on September 30.
More than $50 billion in contracts and grants were issued in the final five business days of September alone, according to the Open the Books analysis. Watchdog officials described the rush as the biggest end-of-year spending surge on record.
The purchases ranged widely. Some were routine defense expenses such as information technology, logistics contracts and equipment. Others raised eyebrows.
Government data cited in the report shows the Pentagon spent more than $225 million on furniture during September, the highest monthly total since 2014. Food purchases were also notable. The department ordered roughly $15.1 million worth of ribeye steak, nearly $7 million in lobster tail and about $2 million in Alaskan king crab during the same month.
Records also show spending on technology products, including about $5.3 million on Apple devices and roughly $4 million on Samsung monitors and other electronics.
The department even showed purchases of musical instruments, including a $98,329 Steinway grand piano intended for the Air Force chief of staff’s residence.
Defense spending overall remains enormous. The Pentagon’s annual budget has hovered around $900 billion in recent years, making it the largest military budget in the world.
‼️‼️ NEW: HEGSETH BLOWS $93 BILLION IN 1 MONTH— BIGGEST MONTHLY EXPENSE SINCE 2008.
$225M Furniture
$15.1M Ribeyes
$5.3M Apple Devices
$6.9M lobster
$2M Crab Legs
$98K Grand Piano for staffer’s Home
$12K Fruit Basket Stands
$140K Doughnuts
$124k Ice Cream Machines pic.twitter.com/dXofBe37Ns
— Maine (@TheMaineWonk) March 10, 2026
President Donald Trump has also floated the idea of expanding that figure significantly. In January he called for a defense budget approaching $1.5 trillion by 2027, arguing the increase would help build what he described as a “Dream Military.”
The Open the Books report did not say that all September spending was wasteful. Large defense contracts are often finalized near the end of a fiscal cycle because of how federal procurement timelines work. Still, watchdog groups say the pattern creates incentives for rushed spending.
John Hart, CEO of Open the Books, said the September 2025 surge was “the worst ever on record.” In a statement, he argued taxpayers expect defense money to support core military priorities rather than last-minute purchases that appear unrelated to combat readiness.
Some lawmakers have begun pushing reforms. Iowa Senator Joni Ernst recently proposed legislation that would require the Pentagon to pass a clean audit by 2028 and tighten oversight of federal purchasing.
For Newsom, the meme did the talking. The governor’s post spread quickly across social media, where screenshots of the reclining Hegseth — crab leg in hand — circulated widely within hours.
