According to a new analysis published by government watchdog Open the Books, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth spent more than $93 billion in September 2025, breaking the monthly expense record since 2008.
Based on the spending review, the 45-year-old American government official approved expenditures of up to $6.9 million on lobster tail and another $2 million on Alaskan king crab in September 2025 alone. And with that, he marked the closing of the 2025 fiscal year.
New Pentagon budget reports show Pete Hegseth spent $93 billion in one month, making it the highest monthly expense since 2008.
This budget report included spending $2 million on Alaskan King Crab. pic.twitter.com/kIwP9I6X3k
— Headquarters (@HQNewsNow) March 10, 2026
Further, the report revealed that Hegseth didn’t just spend millions of dollars on seafood. He also allegedly shelled out about $15.1 million on ribeye steak, $124,000 on new ice cream machines and $139,224 on doughnut purchases, all in the same month.
Apart from food items, the report also claimed that Hegseth spent nearly $100,000 on the purchase of a Steinway & Sons grand piano for the Air Force chief of staff’s residence. In addition, around $5.3 million reportedly went toward Apple products, including iPads.
Meanwhile, the Department of Defense’s expenditure on furniture surged to $225.6 million, highlighting significant interior expenses. This information comes in the wake of rumors surrounding Hegseth’s alleged makeup studio.
In April 2025, multiple sources told CBS News that the Secretary of Defense had ordered upgrades to a room adjacent to the Pentagon press briefing area. Hegseth reportedly wanted it to be converted into a makeup studio for television appearance preparations.
Several thousand dollars were spent from taxpayers’ money, as the project cost Hegseth a fortune. In addition, this whole thing happened at a time when the administration was searching for cost-cutting measures. However, Hegseth debunked the report as “Totally fake story. No ‘orders’ and no ‘makeup.’” in his X post.
1) Totally fake story. No “orders” and no “makeup” — but whatever.
2) We should have installed tampon machines in every men’s bathroom at DoD instead — the leftist “news” media would have loved that. https://t.co/7LypyVObXJ
— Pete Hegseth (@PeteHegseth) April 23, 2025
Back to the Open the Books report, it has been revealed that a smaller but notable purchase of $12,540 for a fruit basket was made by the Department of Defense. Further, over $60,000 was spent on premium recliners from the high-end brand Herman Miller.
Altogether, the figures now paint a picture of substantial spending across luxury items, tech upgrades and furnishings during the same period. Open the Books CEO John Hart said in the analysis, “Under Secretary Hegseth, the Pentagon has consistently said its mission is to refocus on warfighting and lethality.”
“Last year, we highlighted the problem of wasteful use-it-or-lose-it year-end spending. We noted that this reform is fully within the secretary’s control and is a historic opportunity to make good on that promise,” he added.
The expense report has caught people’s attention, as California Governor Gavin Newsom turned it into a viral situation with his X post on March 10. Sharing an AI image of Hegseth sitting comfortably on his recliner, Newsom took a jab at the Secretary of Defense. However, the Department of Defense has remained silent on this matter.
