Pete Hegseth's Pentagon Reportedly Spent Millions on Lobster, Steak & a $98K Piano in One Month

There is a surprising new report regarding Pete Hegseth‘s Defense Department.

The 45-year-old Secretary of Defense and former TV personality’s Pentagon spent millions on luxury seafood and other items during an end-of-year spending surge, per a new report.

Government watchdog Open the Books revealed in an analysis of Defense Department spending that the Pentagon spent more than $93 billion in September 2025, the highest total since at least 2008, and in the last five working days of September alone, the DoD spent $50.1 billion on grants and contracts.

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The surge is tied to a federal “use-it-or-lose-it” budget rule, which encourages agencies to spend remaining funds before the fiscal year ends or risk losing money in next year’s budget.

The report highlights various categories where spending spiked, including $225.6 million on furniture such as premium office chairs, $2 million on Alaskan king crab, $6.9 million on lobster tail, and $15.1 million on ribeye steak, among other food items. They also paid $12,540 for three-tiered fruit basket stands.

The Pentagon also spent $5.9 billion on IT and telecom purchases like laptops.

The report also noted other purchases, including musical instruments like a nearly $100,000 Steinway piano, a $26,000 violin, and a $21,750 custom handmade Japanese flute.

The report also found that the Defense Department spent a record $6.6 billion with foreign governments and foreign-owned companies during the month.

Watchdog groups say the spending spree shows problems with the federal budget rules, which push agencies to spend leftover money quickly instead of giving it back. Critics say agencies should be allowed to carry unused funds into future years to avoid wasteful spending.

At the same time, Donald Trump is threatening to escalate his war with Iran, which he referred to as both “very complete” and “just the beginning.”