00:00California Governor Gavin Newsom has criticized U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth after reports
00:05revealed large Pentagon spending on luxury food items and other purchases at the end of the fiscal
00:09year. According to an analysis by the government watchdog, Open the Books, the United States
00:14Department of Defense spent more than $93 billion in September 2025, the final month of the federal
00:22fiscal year. The watchdog said this marks the largest single-month spending total for any
00:26federal agency since at least 2008. Among the purchases highlighted in the report were premium
00:32food items. The Pentagon reportedly spent about $6.9 million on lobster tail, $15.1 million on
00:40ribeye steak, and around $2 million on Alaskan king crab. The spending list also included other purchases
00:46such as a $98,329 grand piano from Steinway & Sons for the home of the Air Force Chief of
00:52Staff.
00:52Reacting to the report, Newsom posted an AI-generated image online depicting Hegseth
00:57surrounded by luxury food items including lobster, crab, and steak. The governor's office also
01:03referenced the reported $93 billion spending figure in the post. The report also detailed additional
01:08purchases made by the Defense Department during the same period. According to Open the Books,
01:13the Pentagon spent around $124,000 on ice cream machines and more than $12,000 on fruit baskets.
01:19The department also spent approximately $5.3 million on Apple devices such as iPads from Apple.
01:25Other purchases listed included around $1 million on salmon, nearly $140,000 on donuts,
01:31and about $26,000 on a violin. The report also noted a $21,750 custom handmade Japanese flute and
01:39about $26,000 for sushi preparation tables. In a separate post, Newsom's office also referenced
01:45YouTuber Nick Shirley, asking whether he would examine the reported Pentagon spending. Shirley
01:50later replied online, saying he would look into the issue. Share your thoughts in the comments
01:54and do like for more updates.
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