Marine veteran Joey Jones defends Pentagon’s military food spending to critics
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War Secretary Pete Hegseth is facing criticism from some Democratic lawmakers after reported Pentagon spending on steak and lobster. Retired Marine and Fox News co-host Joey Jones has a message for “woke” critics attacking the military’s food budget.
An analysis of War Department spending by government watchdog Open The Books found: September 2025The agency spent $6.9 million on lobster and over $15 million on ribeye steaks.
Jones, who lost his legs fighting for the United States, defended the spending and said rare nights of surf and turf service to soldiers helped boost morale while on duty.
“Are you serious? That’s the only thing about the house… It’s the only thing that made you feel special the whole time you were there watching your friends die, and you’re mad about that?” Jones said in a post on X (formerly Twitter) on Thursday.
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“I guarantee you that none of them said a word when Biden handed over Afghanistan — killing 13 people — or spent tens of millions of dollars to wake up the entire Department of Defense.”
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Jones recalled the moment he heard that he and his unit were being served steak and lobster; this was the only incident during his service in Afghanistan amid a “really tough summer”.
Secretary of War Pete Hegseth looks on during a press conference at U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) headquarters at MacDill Air Force Base in Tampa, Florida, March 5. (Octavio Jones/AFP via Getty Images)
His friend told him they’d been out all day, and he said: ‘Man, I hope I get a good MRE.’ Then someone comes around the corner and says: ‘Hey guys, it’s steak and lobster night. It’s surf and turf,’” Jones said.
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“We talked about steak and lobster night for weeks after that. It was the only night I ever ate abroad,” he added.
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He noted that weeks later a friend of his was seriously injured in the explosion and later died of other causes, while months later Jones himself was seriously injured.
Democrats, including California Governor Gavin Newsom and former Vice President Kamala Harris, have criticized the Pentagon for its spending levels. In a post on XNewsom wrote: “HEGSETH MULTIPLED $93 BILLION OF TAXPAYER’S DOLLARS IN 1 MONTH!!”
