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Norms Impact

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

A “use-it-or-lose-it” spending rush pushed the Pentagon into a $93 billion September blowout, normalizing budget-maximizing behavior over disciplined stewardship of public funds.

Executive

Mar 10, 2026

Sources

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

Summary

The Defense Department spent more than $93 billion in September 2025, including millions on premium food items and other discretionary purchases, as the fiscal year ended. The spending reflects an institutional reliance on end-of-year budget exhaustion driven by federal “use-it-or-lose-it” funding rules and fear of future cuts. The consequence is a recurring incentive structure that prioritizes rapid depletion of appropriations over disciplined allocation to core defense needs.

Reality Check

When agencies learn that restraint is punished and rapid depletion is rewarded, our public budget becomes a performance metric instead of a public trust. The precedent hardens a cycle where appropriations are treated as entitlements to be exhausted, weakening Congress’s ability to use oversight and budgeting as real accountability tools. Over time, this institutionalizes waste tolerance and conditions the public to accept end-of-year spending sprees as normal governance rather than a correctable failure of incentives.

Detail

Open the Books reported that the Defense Department, led by Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, spent more than $93 billion in September 2025, the final month of the fiscal year, the highest September total since at least 2008. The spending included $2 million on Alaskan king crab, $6.9 million on lobster tail, $1 million on salmon, and $15.1 million on ribeye steak, along with nearly $140,000 on doughnuts and $124,000 on ice cream machines. Additional purchases cited included $26,000 on sushi preparation tables and more than $12,000 on fruit baskets.

The reporting described the spending as tied to federal “use-it-or-lose-it” rules, under which unspent funds can increase the risk of future budget reductions. Other items listed included $1.8 million on musical instruments, including a $98,329 Steinway grand piano for the Air Force chief of staff’s home, and $5.3 million on Apple devices, including higher-storage iPad Air M3 models. The data also showed more than $225 million spent on furniture in September 2025.