The Pentagon spent $15 million on ribeye and $98K on a grand piano in a single month, and Gavin Newsom just made sure every American saw the receipt

California Governor Gavin Newsom called out Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth after reports came out about the Pentagon’s big spending on luxury items last September. The Defense Department reportedly spent more than $93 billion in the final month of the fiscal year, drawing serious scrutiny.

A government watchdog group called Open the Books analyzed this spending, and found it to be the largest single-month total for any federal agency since at least 2008. The report highlights some notable purchases, including $15.1 million on ribeye steak alone.

Beyond the ribeye, the Pentagon also spent $6.9 million on various crabs and another $2 million specifically on Alaskan king crab. According to The Daily Beast, the department also spent $98,329 on a Steinway & Sons grand piano, which was reportedly for the Air Force chief of staff’s home.

The Pentagon’s end-of-year spending spree reveals how “use-it-or-lose-it” budget rules drive wasteful government purchases

Newsom, who many see as a likely contender for the 2028 U.S. presidential election, posted an AI-generated image on X showing Hegseth surrounded by luxury items like lobster tails, ribeye steaks, and king crab, alongside ice cream machines and Apple devices. Newsom’s press office wrote, “HEGSETH BLOWING $93 BILLION OF TAXPAYER DOLLARS IN 1 MONTH !!”

This comes at a time when the Pentagon has also faced criticism over its handling of AI supply chain risks. The reason behind this end-of-year spending appears to be federal “use-it-or-lose-it” rules, where departments that don’t spend their full budget by fiscal year-end risk getting less funding the following year. 

This leads to rushed spending, often on unnecessary items. The Pentagon reportedly spent $124,000 on ice cream machines, over $12,000 on fruit baskets, and $5.3 million on Apple devices like iPads. According to Open the Books, the department also spent $1 million on salmon, nearly $140,000 on doughnuts, $26,000 on a violin, $21,750 on a custom handmade Japanese flute, and $26,000 on sushi preparation tables.

Meanwhile, defense experts have raised separate concerns about Iran’s growing drone swarm capabilities, suggesting the department may have bigger priorities to focus on. The department also spent more than $3,160 on stickers featuring children’s characters from Dora the Explorer, Frozen, and Paw Patrol.

In another X post, Newsom’s press office directly challenged Nick Shirley, a YouTuber known for his MAGA content, to look into the Defense Department’s spending. Shirley had previously gained attention for a video claiming fraud at Minnesota child care centers, which was later used to support President Trump’s immigration policies. Shirley also claimed last month to have uncovered voter fraud at a UPS Store in California.

Newsom wrote, “Hey Nick Shirley… any insight here?” Shirley replied, “I’ll look into it! Maybe we could work together on it??” He also mentioned a new California fraud exposé coming out soon. Newsom appeared to be pushing a prominent figure in the MAGA community to scrutinize spending by a department that Hegseth and President Trump have preferred to call the “Department of War.”