Furious US troops erupt at CNN’s $20m steak and lobster claims as grim photos expose reality
Angry US soldiers hit back at CNN’s claim that Secretary of War Pete Hegseth spent taxpayer dollars on steak and lobster dinners.
Service members sent exclusive photos of their dinner plates — tiny lobster tails and gray ribeye served cafeteria-style on trays — to the Daily Mail in the months before military action in Iran.
The backlash followed a heated on-air confrontation in which CNN commentator Paul Begala suggested Hegseth was hoarding luxury items for himself rather than feeding soldiers working grueling late-night shifts.
The debate flared when Begala launched into his harsh criticism of the Pentagon’s September budget increase.
‘In one month, he spent $15 million on ribeye, $6.9 million on lobster tails, and $225 million on furniture. It spent more on defense in September than most countries in the world. “Everything for himself,” Begala began, saying it was a shame.
A friend of mine, one of the panelists, immediately stepped back and asked: ‘Do you think the Secretary of War personally ate all the lobsters? It’s for the troops!’
Troops in the field say they’re being treated to these meals, but it’s not exactly the glamorous lifestyle experts envision.
US soldiers are hitting back at explosive claims that Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth spent millions on lavish ‘personal’ meals, providing the Daily Mail with exclusive evidence that the senior group is actually serving as a spearhead of military action in Iran
In a series of photos sent exclusively to the Daily Mail, soldiers shared images of dinner plates piled high with ribeye and lobster, proving that ‘luxury’ meals were being distributed to the brass in the months before the Iran offensive.
AI-GENERATED PHOTO: California Governor Gavin Newsom X post used an AI-generated image to troll US Secretary of War Pete Hegseth
As the US and Israel military campaign against Iran entered its 18th day, Trump’s top counterterrorism official, Joseph Kent, resigned in protest of the war, claiming that Israel was pressuring the US to enter a conflict based on lies.
Kent, Director of the National Counterterrorism Center, argued that Iran is not an imminent threat. Stating that the war started ‘due to the pressure of Israel and its powerful American lobby’, he said: ‘I cannot in conscience support the ongoing war.’
Simultaneously, Trump attacked American allies who refused to assist in the Strait of Hormuz. After his request for assistance was rejected due to rising oil prices, the President wrote on Truth Social on Tuesday: ‘We no longer ‘need’ or desire assistance from NATO countries; We never wanted to.’
Trump noted that he was told that allies “did not want to get involved” in the conflict. He criticized NATO as a ‘one-way street’ and said ‘we will protect them but they will not do anything to us, especially in times of need’.
A former active duty member explained to the Daily Mail that all service branches occasionally receive these special meals during intense operations planning, including ‘cafeteria-style’ lobster tail.
‘These gestures reflect the long hours, deployments and last-minute mobilizations for Reserve and Guard members. “They also reflect a long-standing tradition of serving a good meal before a potential combat deployment,” he said.
One service member was even more blunt about the quality of the ‘luxury’ offering, telling the Daily Mail: ‘We’re not here smashing lobster tails and Delmonicos Tony Soprano style and handing the bill to the American public; They’re not that good to begin with.’
Despite the front-line defense, Hegseth is still under fire for the sheer size of the Pentagon’s ‘use it or lose it’ spending.
An analysis by watchdog group Open the Books finds that the Department of Defense stands to lose a staggering $93 billion in September 2025 alone, only to exhaust its budget before the end of the fiscal year.
This marks the largest single monthly outlay for any federal agency since at least 2008.
The breakdown of this binge consists of $15.1 million in ribeye steak, $6.9 million in lobster tail and $2 million in Alaskan king crab.
In addition to meal expenses, the records include the purchase of a $98,329 Steinway & Sons grand piano installed at the Air Force Chief of Staff’s residence.
But the report suggests that Hegseth isn’t actually the top spender; Former President Barack Obama reportedly spent $300 to $400 million on furniture while in office.
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Is the media’s criticism of the military going too far?
The debate flared when Begala launched into his harsh criticism of the Pentagon’s September budget increase
An analysis by watchdog group Open the Books finds that the Department of Defense stands to lose a staggering $93 billion in September 2025 alone, only to exhaust its budget before the end of the fiscal year
California Governor Gavin Newsom shared an AI-generated image of Hegseth lounging on a chair next to a grand piano, surrounded by iPads and piles of lobsters.
Political rivals wasted no time attacking the figures.
California Governor Gavin Newsom He shared an image created by artificial intelligence Hegseth reclines on a chair next to a grand piano, surrounded by iPads and piles of lobsters.
‘Hegseth squandered 93 billion dollars of taxpayers’ money in 1 month!!’ said the article.
Democratic Congressman Chuck Schumer responded by calling Hegseth a “con artist” in a scathing social media post.
“Instead of lowering Americans’ health care costs, Hegseth spent millions of taxpayer dollars on fruit baskets, Herman Miller recliners, ice cream machines, Alaskan King Crabs, and a Steinway & Sons grand piano,” Schumer wrote. ‘
A real hustler in every sense of the word.’
Historically, an increase in the number of military officers and soldiers eating expensive meals was seen as a sign that something like Trump’s war in Iran was coming.
As we approach the 18th day of the US-Israeli war against Iran, the conflict has rapidly evolved from targeted beheading attacks into a deep-rooted regional crisis with serious global economic consequences.
The allied air campaign, triggered by the February 28 attack in which Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei was killed, brutally hit Iran’s military, unmanned aerial vehicle and ballistic missile infrastructure. In response, the newly empowered Iranian leadership launched major retaliatory attacks against Israel and US facilities in the Middle East.
The biggest consequence for the rest of the world was that Tehran successfully paralyzed the Strait of Hormuz, triggering a massive energy shock that sent crude oil prices soaring and international supply chains broken.
