Jimmy Kimmel called out Pete Hegseth, the United States Secretary of Defense, for his department’s spending during a monologue on his chat show. He alluded to a report by The Daily Beast. He pointed out the massive expenses on food items, including lobster tail, donuts, ribeye steak, and more. Plus, he joked about the department’s identity, quipping whether it was the “My 600-Lb Defense Department,” referencing the popular MTV reality show.
Jimmy Kimmel criticises Pete Hegseth’s spending
During the monologue of Jimmy Kimmel Live!, the host took a moment to criticize Hegseth’s department spending as he referenced a report by The Daily Beast. The outlet referred to the of government watchdog Open the Books. It was reported that Hegseth spent over $93 billion in September 2025. It is regarded as the end of the fiscal year. The expenses were made on various grants and contracts, marking the highest sum since 2008. Moreover, the outlet also reported that some amount was also splurged on food items.
As Kimmel said, citing the outlet, “[Hegseth] spent $6.9 million on lobster tail, $140,000 on donuts, $124,000 on ice cream machines, $26,000 on sushi preparation tables, and $15.1 million on ribeye steak.” Alluding to the expenses on food, Kimmel joked about whether the department should now be considered “My 600-Lb. Defense Department?”
He further added, “Can you imagine the size of the egg [Fox News host] Sean Hannity would lay if a Democrat had spent millions of dollars on lobster tails and sushi preparation tables? He would never walk again.” Kimmel, referring to the $12,000 spent on fruit baskets, mentioned that he found it funny how they had “racked up” the bill. “He’s been going around saying, ‘We’re making the military manly again! … Now, where is the stand for my basket of fruit?” he continued.
