World

A GOP senator fired a shot across the bow of Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth’s Pentagon for going ‘through tens of billions of dollars on impulse purchases” at the end of the fiscal year with multiple purchases drawing scrutiny, reports the conservative Daily Caller.

According to government watchdog Open The Books, the Department of Defense's spending in September reached levels not seen since at least 2008 — a total of $93 billion. The extravagant purchases have taken on new importance now that the Pentagon may be on the verge of depleting its munitions stockpile as Trump's war on Iran escalates.

The waste was staggering. The Pentagon spent over $225 million on furniture alone — the highest amount since 2014. This included $12,000 on fruit basket stands and more than $60,000 on premium Herman Miller chairs.

Dining also received generous funding. The Pentagon purchased $2 million worth of Alaskan king crab in September — a feat the department has accomplished five times during Trump's tenure.

Musical instruments joined the shopping list. A $98,329 Steinway & Sons grand piano, a $26,000 violin, and a $21,750 handmade Japanese flute were among $1.8 million spent on instruments.

The Pentagon also made $6.6 billion in purchases from foreign governments and businesses — over $1 billion more than the previous record of $5.2 billion in September 2023. These expenditures included $3 billion for training classes, janitorial work, and border surveillance, plus $3.6 billion in goods including computer chips and firetrucks.

Open The Books CEO John Hart called on Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth to refocus the department's spending. "Under Secretary Hegseth, the Pentagon has consistently said its mission is to refocus on warfighting and lethality," Hart stated. "Last year, we highlighted the problem of wasteful use-it-or-lose-it year-end spending. We noted that this reform is fully within the secretary's control and is a historic opportunity to make good on that promise."

Republican Iowa Senator Joni Ernst issued a direct rebuke, stating: "If taxpayers are going to be asked to spend $1.5 trillion on defense — nearly as much as the rest of the world combined — Washington must be able to defend how every dollar is being spent. Open the Books' findings that binge-buying bureaucrats at the Pentagon burned through tens of billions of dollars on impulse purchases, like fruit basket stands, footrests, doughnuts by the dozen, and a custom-made flute, demonstrate how much work still needs to be done to meet that goal."

You can read more here.

Pentagon war planners were blindsided by the scope of Israeli strikes on Iran, sparking the first significant rift between the U.S. and Israeli militaries since the conflict began eight days ago.

According to Axios, the Israeli Defense Forces destroyed an estimated 30 fuel depots during the offensive Saturday — far more extensive than what U.S. military officials expected when Israel provided advance notice of the strikes.

A senior U.S. official bluntly stated, "We don't think it was a good idea." An Israeli official characterized the American reaction as: "WTF?"

Pentagon strategists are concerned that destroying infrastructure serving ordinary Iranians could backfire strategically, potentially unifying Iranian society behind the regime while simultaneously driving global oil prices higher — a political liability Trump desperately wants to avoid.

"The president doesn't like the attack. He wants to save the oil. He doesn't want to burn it. And it reminds people of higher gas prices," a Trump adviser told Axios.

The scale of the destruction has alarmed even Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-SC), a consistent war supporter. Graham posted on X: "Please be cautious about what targets you select. Our goal is to liberate the Iranian people in a fashion that does not cripple their chance to start a new and better life when this regime collapses. The oil economy of Iran will be essential to that endeavor."

The disagreement between the allies is expected to be addressed at senior political levels as both nations confront the unintended consequences of the escalating air campaign.