Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer and California Governor Gavin Newsom accused War Secretary Pete Hegseth of wasteful spending on luxuries like steak and lobster for troops. Critics have since quieted amid evidence that such meals are standard for deploying soldiers. The article contrasts this with a prior Biden administration grant for fungal-based protein research.
In March 2026, Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) used social media to criticize War Secretary Pete Hegseth, claiming he spent $93 billion in one month on items including fruit baskets, Herman Miller recliners, ice cream machines, Alaskan king crabs, and a Steinway & Sons grand piano. Schumer noted this amount roughly equals the cost of extending Affordable Care Act tax credits for three years, suggesting the funds could have lowered healthcare costs instead.
California Governor Gavin Newsom shared a similar viral post, accusing the Pentagon of excessive monthly spending. However, commentators have highlighted that providing steak and lobster to troops before deployment is a common practice. Military leaders stress that such comforts boost morale, especially for those in overseas or high-stress roles. A report from watchdog group Open the Books indicates these purchases occurred near the end of the previous fiscal year, a period when agencies often speed up spending to avoid budget rollovers.
The article points to a 2024 Biden Defense Department grant of nearly $1.5 million to The Better Meat Company, a California firm developing proteins from fungal roots grown in bioreactors. The process involves feeding water and nutrients to fungus in fermentation tanks, yielding a gray semi-solid material for protein ingredients. Pentagon officials clarified the funding aimed to create shelf-stable proteins for sustaining deployed troops, not to alter Meals Ready-to-Eat (MREs).
Jack Hubbard, executive director of the Center for the Environment and Welfare, questioned the lack of outrage over this initiative, stating, “Where was the outrage when the Biden administration wanted to force-feed franken-meat to America’s military heroes?” He added, “‘Ick’ factor aside, there are no long-term health studies on the effects of lab-grown meat. Our armed forces deserve better.”
Hegseth, in a 2025 address to generals and flag officers, emphasized removing what he called "woke policies" from the War Department to improve morale and lethality. He declared, “We became the woke department. But not anymore,” and listed eliminations including identity months, DEI offices, and climate change programs, saying, “No more division, distraction, or gender delusions.”
