Pentagon Pete Blew a Fortune on Crabs in Multibillion-Dollar Spending Frenzy

[In It to Win It]

The Pentagon spent millions of dollars on luxury crabs and other food items in a single month as part of a frantic end-of-year spending spree to maintain its immense funding.

An analysis by the government watchdog Open the Books found that the department led by Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth spent more than $93 billion in September 2025, the end of the fiscal year, on various grants and contracts, the highest total since at least 2008.

Included in this spending was $2 million on Alaskan king crab last September alone, as well as $6.9 million on lobster tail and $1 million on salmon. The Defense Department also spent nearly $140,000 on doughnuts, $124,000 on ice cream machines, $26,000 on sushi preparation tables, and a whopping $15.1 million on ribeye steak.

As Open the Books explained, the Pentagon tries to spend as much of its congressionally allocated budget as possible at the end of every fiscal year because of federal “use-it-or-lose-it” rules. If the department ends the year with leftover funds, it risks having its budget reduced the following year.

On top of the billions of dollars spent on technologies, contracts, and purchases from foreign governments and businesses, the department also found inventive ways to ensure it used as much of its budget as possible in the final month.

https://www.thedailybeast.com/pentagon-pete-hegseth-blew-a-fortune-on-crabs-in-multibillion-dollar-spending-frenzy/

[Skittles]

1. meanwhile

FUCK YOU if you need affordable healthcare insurance

[madinmaryland]

2. And then he got the crabs.

[kerouac2]

3. Apparently doge doesn't care about stuff like this

Why not buy food like canned goods and then donate it to food banks? Sheesh

[marble falls]

4. Most dudes I know paid for another service and got the crabs for free.

[milestogo]

5. What a fool.

[Abnredleg]

6. Steak and lobster is a traditional treat for deployed military

In fact, it’s something of a joke - “they’re feeding us well so the shit is about to hit the fan.”

There is a lot to pissed about at the Pentagon but this isn’t one of them.

[TommyT139]

7. Maybe so, but what about the rest of the stuff?

It would be helpful to see proof that the food was consumed by troops.

But then there's more (see archived version here https://archive.ph/YoHAA ). Much more.

On top of the billions of dollars spent on technologies, contracts, and purchases from foreign governments and businesses, the department also found inventive ways to ensure it used as much of its budget as possible in the final month.

This reportedly included spending $1.8 million on musical instruments, such as a $98,329 Steinway & Sons grand piano for the Air Force chief of staff’s home, a $26,000 violin, and a $21,750 custom handmade Japanese flute.

The Pentagon found a way to spend more than $12,000 on fruit baskets, as well as a total of $3,160 on stickers featuring beloved children’s characters from Dora the Explorer, Frozen, and Paw Patrol. The department also spent $5.3 million on Apple devices, including purchasing 400 of the more expensive 512-gigabyte edition iPad Air M3s rather than cheaper models with less storage.

Elsewhere, the Pentagon maintained its habit of spending vast sums on high-end office furnishings...The data showed that the Defense Department spent more than $225 million on furniture, the highest level since 2014, including one chair that cost $1,844. Since 2008, the DOD has spent an average of $257.6 million on furniture every September.

[Abnredleg]

8. That's wasteful

Like I said, there is a lot to be pissed at. The food sounds reasonable.

[TommyT139]

10. It does.

If it went to troops.

It sounds like the military could do better, though.

According to a 2023 study by Rand researchers, nearly 26% of active-duty service members are considered food insecure, and about 15% rely on food stamps or food banks to help support their families.

https://www.militarytimes.com/news/pentagon-congress/2024/09/24/food-insecurity-among-military-families-unacceptable-advocates-say/

[mr715]

12. Love the Stickers.

I assume there is some joke to be made about military intelligence

[TommyT139]

13. I was surprised by the Frozen ones

...given that Elsa is known as a queer icon.

[mr715]

14. And Dora isn't white.

[Mysterian]

9. I'm sure the corporate media will be all over this soon

Have Schumer and Jeffries been raising hell about this?

[TommyT139]

11. So much hell to raise, so little time.

[Initech]

15. We can't keep the DOE open, but this fucking asshole gets to blow $93 billion on bullshit.

WTF. This entire administration needs to be put in prison now!

[DiverDave]

16. It has been

Going on for years.
End of year spending to not lose funding.
I heard a driver tell me the put military equipment onto ships and just circled around the ocean.
Anything in transit was considered to be replaceable.

[Deminpenn]

17. Exactly, nothing new

All agencies do this, not just DoD.

Years ago, my command added an extra layer of cushion to every procurement just to spend all the money allocated to us.