'Shameful' Pete Hegseth Destroyed By Rivals and Labeled a 'Grifter' After Spending 'Billions' on Luxury Items — Including Lobster and Fancy Furniture
Pete Hegseth is feeling the heat for spending billions on luxury items.
March 11 2026, Published 6:30 p.m. ET
Pete Hegseth is feeling the wrath of regular Americans after it was discovered he spent billions on luxury items, RadarOnline.com can reveal.
On Tuesday, March 10, Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer called out the Defense Secretary, labeling him a "true grifter."
Chuck Schumer Brands Pete Hegseth a 'Grifter'
Hegseth was called out by Chuck Schumer for his spending habits.
"Hegseth spent $93 billion in one month – roughly the cost of extending the ACA tax credits for THREE YEARS," Schumer went off on X.
He added: "But instead of lowering Americans’ healthcare costs, Hegseth used millions of taxpayer dollars on fruit baskets, Herman Miller recliners, ice cream machines, Alaskan King Crabs, and a Steinway & Sons grand piano."
"A true grifter in every sense of the word," Schumer concluded.
Social media commentators also raged about "shameful" Hegseth's actions, as one reacted, "$93B in one month?! Now this is a real problem."
Pete Hegseth's Crazy Spending Details
'A true grifter,' Schumer raged about the former Fox News personality.
Another noted, "Trump, Hegseth, [Kristi] Noem, [Kash] Patel, and [Pam] Bondi have been living luxuriously off the taxpayers. They've wasted over a billion dollars in living expenses regarding luxury properties, vehicles, private planes, clothing, and dining. It is so egregious."
While one user predicted, "midterms are going to be brutal for Republicans."
According to a recent analysis by the government watchdog Open the Books, Hegseth's Defense Department spent $93billion last September, the end of the 2025 fiscal year.
While there is pressure on federal agencies to spend all of their budgets by the end of the fiscal year or risk losing access to the cash moving forward, the former Fox News personality appeared to spend it all on bizarre items.
Hegseth is said to have dropped millions on seafood alone.
The 45-year-old reportedly dropped $2million on Alaskan king crab and almost $7million worth of lobster tail. However, that was not the end of it as Hegseth's department also used a chunk of its budget on ribeye steak... $15million. They also spent $124,000 worth of ice cream machines and another $140,000 on doughnuts.
Although it wasn't just food Hegseth was buying up, as he also put another $225million on furniture, including $60,000 on fancy Herman Miller recliners, and even $12,000 on fruit basket stands.
Even Air Force Chief of Staff Kenneth S. Wilsbach reaped the benefits, as nearly $100,000 was spent on a Steinway & Sons grand piano for his home.
Technology was key to Hegseth and staff as well, as $5.3million went toward Apple devices and $4million on Samsung devices.
'We'll Be Investigating'
Governor Gavin Newsom mocked Hegseth for his outrageous spending.
Hegseth also wrapped up the spending at the end of the month, by spending $50.1billion on just grants and contracts. Hegseth has already received pushback for his spending habits from several notable figures, including Rep. Melanie Stansbury.
She raged on X: "In addition to billions of taxpayer dollars being burned in this war in Iran, reports are showing that Sec. Pete Hegseth blew $93 billion in federal DOD funding at the end of last year on..." before listing all of the items purchased.
"You better believe we’ll be investigating," she warned.
Governor Gavin Newsom's press office also mocked Hegseth by posting an image of him on a recliner surrounded by all his purchases, including a soft-serve machine.
Never Miss an
Daily updates from the heart of Hollywood, right to your inbox
By entering your email and clicking Sign Up, you’re agreeing to let us send you customized marketing messages about us and our advertising partners. You are also agreeing to our Terms of Service and Privacy Policy.
Even President Trump's rival, Jimmy Kimmel, poked fun at Hegseth on his late-night show.
"I think one of the things that’s most troubling about this is how excited Pete Hegseth gets to bomb people," Kimmel joked on-air. "Like he would do it even if he wasn’t getting paid. Just for the love of it. Just for the hell of it. But he is getting paid, and he’s spending a lot of money."
