Breaking: Hegseth and Trump Exposed for Lying and Spending Billions in Taxpayer Dollars

Summary

---

The Parnas Perspective

Episode: "Breaking: Hegseth and Trump Exposed for Lying and Spending Billions in Taxpayer Dollars"

Host: Aaron Parnas
Date: March 10, 2026

---

Episode Overview

Aaron Parnas delivers a high-energy breakdown of two major scandals dominating U.S. politics:

• Fox News personality Pete Hegseth is accused of grossly irresponsible Pentagon spending, allegedly burning through $93 billion of taxpayer money on lavish purchases and questionable expenses just before the end of the fiscal year.
• Former President Donald Trump is under fire for lying about the use of U.S. missiles in a catastrophic strike on an Iranian girls’ school—a lie implicating the U.S. in direct civilian deaths and potentially illegal arms transfers.

The episode features sharp legal and political analysis, quotes from key Congressional figures, and an exclusive interview with Rep. Josh Harder (D-CA) on funding, oversight, and the political climate.

---

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Donald Trump’s "Tomahawk Missile" Lie [00:23-02:25]

• Trump claimed on multiple occasions that "Iranian Tomahawk missiles" were behind a deadly attack on a girls’ school in Manab, Iran, killing 170, mostly children.
  • Senator Chuck Schumer immediately debunked the claim, noting that Tomahawk missiles are U.S.-exclusive technology and have never been sold or licensed to Iran.
  • Schumer denounced Trump's falsehoods as “beyond asinine” and called for an independent investigation.

Quote (Sen. Schumer, 01:38):
“Iran doesn’t have Tomahawk missiles. Donald Trump, the claim is beyond asinine...on something as formidable as this, it’s appalling. No other leader in the administration, not even Pete Hegseth, who does whatever Trump wants, is claiming Iranian missiles did this. Trump is lying through his teeth.”

• Accountability Demanded: Schumer pressed for full transparency and accountability regarding the attack and subsequent official statements.

---

2. Pentagon’s Lavish, Questionable Spending under Pete Hegseth [02:25-03:41]

• An open-source investigation revealed $93 billion spent in September (the highest monthly outlay since 2008), including:
  • $15.1 million on ribeye steaks
  • $6.9 million on lobster
  • $2 million on crab legs
  • $225 million on furniture
  • $98,000 grand piano (for a staffer’s home)
  • $12,000 fruit basket stands
  • $140,000 on donuts
  • $124,000 on ice cream machines
  • $5 million+ on Apple devices
• These revelations sparked extreme outrage, given simultaneous domestic cuts (e.g., to SNAP benefits).
• Senators, fresh from a classified Iran briefing, rebuffed calls for additional war funding.

---

3. Congressional Blowback: Elizabeth Warren and the "Power of the Purse" [03:41-05:09]

• Senator Elizabeth Warren expressed strong opposition to further military supplementals.

Quote (Sen. Warren, 03:48):
“This is not a war the American people want us to engage in…for the Trump administration to say over and over, there’s no money for healthcare, no money for childcare…but there’s a billion dollars a day to go to the Middle East and drop bombs on Iran for military purposes no one can describe…No. No more money.”

• Warren emphasized Congressional power to pause or defund war efforts and called for audits owing to the Pentagon’s chronic mismanagement.

---

4. Interview: Congressman Josh Harder (D-CA) on Funding, War, and DHS [05:09-13:35]

War in Iran: No Justification, No Exit Strategy [05:38-07:40]

• Rep. Harder sharply criticized the Trump administration’s shifting rhetoric and lack of coherent strategy in Iran.

Quote (Rep. Harder, 05:38):
“It’s brutally ironic that just a year and a half ago, Trump campaigned on lowering gas prices and stopping endless wars...today, gas prices have doubled and it’s clear this administration has absolutely zero idea what they’re doing in Iran.”

• He noted the Republican party’s sycophantic alignment and lack of principled dissent, both public and private.

No More Blank Checks for War [06:45-07:27]

• Rep. Harder said he could not support additional funding for the Iran conflict.

Quote (Rep. Harder, 06:55):
“We need to make sure that there is a plan to make America safer and an exit strategy...so far we haven’t seen any of that.”

Unsafe at Home: DHS Shutdown & Impact on Constituents [07:27-11:41]

• Harder addressed the ongoing partial government shutdown, with DHS unfunded:
  • Criticized ICE “war” on immigrant neighborhoods, calling for strict new oversight, body cameras, and limits on force.
  • Argued for targeted funding for non-ICE DHS agencies (TSA, FEMA, Coast Guard), but rejected restoring ICE funding absent reforms.
  • Noted community hardship, especially for frontline federal workers and immigrant families.

Quote (Rep. Harder, 08:25):
“The Department of Homeland Security has not made Americans safer at all. Grandmas are afraid to walk to the grocery store because they might get picked up...even if they're American citizens.”

Cabinet Shakeup and Accountability [11:41-13:35]

• Reacted to the firing of DHS Secretary Kristi Noem and appointment of Markwayne Mullin:
  • Dismissed leadership changes as cosmetic unless policy changes follow.
  • Called for genuine accountability, including possible criminal investigations into corruption, waste, and abuse.

Quote (Rep. Harder, 12:50):
“The corruption in DHS under Kristi Noem was absolutely outrageous...another scandal broke that they were purchasing thousands of new ICE vehicles they can’t even use, costing taxpayers millions. I hope there’s a full investigation...and that Kristi Noem and those enabling her are held to account.”

---

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• Schumer’s searing condemnation of Trump’s “asinine” missile claims [01:38]
• Warren’s relentless critique of Pentagon priorities and refusal to fund the war [03:48]
• Harder’s blunt assessment of the hypocrisy and dysfunction fueling both foreign and domestic policy failures [05:38 - 08:25]
• Reluctance to fund ICE without sweeping reform and the call for community resolve [11:08]

---

Timestamps for Important Segments

• Trump’s Missile Lie and Response (Schumer): 00:23–02:25
• Hegseth’s Pentagon Spending Scandal: 02:25–03:41
• Elizabeth Warren Cuts Off Military Supplemental: 03:41–05:09
• Extended Interview: Rep. Josh Harder
  • War in Iran Justification & Republican Silence: 05:09–07:40
  • War Supplemental and Accountability: 06:45–07:27
  • Shutdown Impact and DHS ICE Controversies: 07:27–11:41
  • Cabinet Shakeup & Call for Accountability: 11:41–13:35

---

Style, Tone, and Takeaways

Aaron Parnas’ tone remains sharp, urgent, and skeptical of both Pentagon waste and executive deceit. The conversations balance legal analysis, political critique, and on-the-ground consequences for Americans. Listeners come away with a clear sense of the stakes: government recklessness, war without strategy or public support, and the fight for genuine accountability.

For more deep dives on law, policy, and breaking political news, follow The Parnas Perspective.

Transcript

[Interviewer]

From unsolved mysteries to unexplained phenomena, from comedy gold to relationship fails. Amazon Music's got the most ad free top podcasts included with Prime. Because the only thing that should interrupt your listening is, well, nothing. Download the Amazon music app. Today.

[Podcast Host]

We have some major news. Right now, Pete Hegseth is under significant fire and so is Donald Trump for two different reasons. Hexeth is under fire for spending 93 billion taxpayer dollars on things like crab, lobster, ribeye steaks and more. Donald Trump is under fire for lying about whether or not a US Missile hit the all girls elementary school in Manab, Iran. Why? Well, because only one party has these missiles. It's the United States. Not Israel, not Iran. And if Iran actually purchased these missiles the way Trump may claim, that would be a scandal of epic proportion. Because at no point did the United States license technology of this nature to Iran. Make sure to like, comment, share and subscribe. This is important news that folks need to know about. Subscribe to my subset. Click the link below to support my work. I want to begin by showing you a clip from Senator Chuck Schumer on the floor today, really laying out clearly how Donald Trump is lying to you and the American public. Take a listen.

[Senator Chuck Schumer]

He claims that Iranian Tomahawk missiles were responsible for the bombing of an all girls school that killed 170 people, including many children. Iran doesn't have Tomahawk missiles. Donald Trump, the claim is beyond asinine. Again, he says whatever pops into his head, no matter what the truth is. And we all know he lies. But on something as formidable as this, it's appalling. No other leader in the administration, not even Pete Hegseth, who does whatever Trump wants, is claiming Iranian missiles did this. Trump is lying through his teeth.

[Interviewer]

So

[Senator Chuck Schumer]

this morning I will be demanding a full independent and transparent investigation to get to the bottom of what happened at this school and why so many innocent civilians were tragically killed. There needs to be accountability.

[Podcast Host]

Needs to be accountability for that. And it comes as Hecseth is facing significant fire too. Now, this is a bit exaggerated in terms of the exclamation marks, but the numbers are real. They come from an independent analysis conducted by a open source organization. He blew $93 million in the month of September. That that's the biggest monthly expense since 2008 for the Pentagon. Why in the month of September? Well, because that's when the fiscal year ended. The fiscal year for the Pentagon's budget. And whatever they don't spend by the end of the year, they have to give away. That's kind of how it works. So what did he spend it on? Okay, he spent $225 million on furniture. Pentagon's a big building. Fine, no problem. $15.1 million on ribeye steaks, $6.9 million on lobster, $2 million on crab legs, $98,000 grand piano for staffers home $12,000 fruit basket stands, $140,000 on donuts, 124,000 on ice cream machines, $5 million plus on Apple devices. People are upset about this because at the same time that they're cutting SNAP benefits, they're using their money that they paid to the federal government to buy things like this. And today, senators were leaving classified briefing on Iran. They're saying, we're not giving you another penny. Take a listen to Senator Elizabeth Warren, who actually I'll be speaking to later today. So tune in for that conversation.

[Interviewer]

Would you be if they sent up a supplemental and did they give you any indication this morning that a supplemental

[Podcast Host]

is on its way to Capitol?

[Senator Elizabeth Warren]

At this point, I am a hard no on a supplemental. This is not a war the American people want us to engage in. This is not a war supported by this country. And this is not a war that makes us safer. For the Trump administration to say over and over, there's no money for health care. There's no money for child care. There's no time to pay attention to how families are paying more. But there's a billion dollars a day to go to the Middle east and drop bombs on Iran for military purposes that no one can describe and that no one can explain how merely from dropping bombs from the air, we will accomplish those ends. No. No more money. The one thing Congress has the power to do is to stop actions like this through the power of the purse. The military already has a trillion dollars. The military already cannot pass a simple audit on where that money is. And for the Trump administration to come back and say shovel billions more into a war in Iran that is not supported by the American people and does not make us safer makes no sense at all. So I will be a no.

[Podcast Host]

She will be a no. Pretty significant. I also spoke with one congressman. His name is Josh Harder from California. I want you to take a listen to what he had to say. We spoke about whether he'd be a yes. He says he's a no and much more like comment, Share and Subscribe subscribe to my substack. Click the link below. Subscribe My conversation with Congressman Harder. Excited today to be joined by Congressman Josh Harder. Now Congressman I want to jump right in and ask you about the war in Iran. Based on what you have heard on Capitol Hill, in briefings, speaking with colleagues, do you believe that this war is justified?

[Interviewer]

Right now I don't. And I think it's brutally ironic that just a year and a half ago, Trump campaigned on lowering gas prices and stopping endless wars in the Middle East. Today, gas prices have doubled just over the last two weeks. And it's clear this administration has absolutely zero idea what they're doing in Iran and no exit strategy for ending this war and no plan to make America safer at all.

[Podcast Host]

Now, I like to ask this to all Democratic members who come on because I think Republicans say one thing publicly and then oftentimes say something different privately. So at least behind the scenes, have you heard any opposition from your Republican colleagues about the ongoing war or anything the White House is doing in the Middle East?

[Interviewer]

I think the entire Republican Party has been remade in the era of Trump. So I think hoping that folks are going to wake up tomorrow, find a little bit of a backbone is pretty unrealistic. I haven't heard folks say a lot privately that they're not saying publicly. And ultimately it doesn't matter. The difference between a sycophant and a coward is not that big. And, and the solution is the same. We gotta win at the ballot box.

[Podcast Host]

Well, I think something that's coming up is ultimately this administration is gonna come to you on Capitol Hill and say, well, we need more funding for our war overseas. Is that something you're willing to provide right now?

[Interviewer]

I don't think we've seen any justification for more funds. Let's not forget that this administration gave themselves hundreds of billions of dollars more in their so called one big beautiful bill. Just last year a lot of that money domestically went to ICE and in international terms, a lot of it went towards of defense that they call the Department of War. We need to make sure that there is a plan to make America safer and also an exit strategy for extricating ourselves out of the war. So far we haven't seen any of that.

[Podcast Host]

We talk about making America safer and I think a lot of Americans are concerned based on what they're hearing from the White House and others, that there may be some type of homeland attack right. As a result of the war overseas. Are you concerned about that right now?

[Interviewer]

I think ultimately this has only made us less safe. Who knows what happens? Hopefully we are going to be able to make sure that we have great intelligence analysts. I know we have folks that are working 247 to try to make sure that we don't have another tragedy on American soil. But ultimately this is just another endless war that has already taken way too many American lives and Iranian lives for no clear reason whatsoever.

[Podcast Host]

And I think that brings me to an important point, which is right now we're in a partial government shutdown. Department of Homeland Security hasn't received funding for this fiscal year. This. Now a lot of your Republican colleagues say that you and your fellow Democrats are putting the country in danger by essentially not voting to fund DHS immediately. What do you say to that?

[Interviewer]

I don't think the Department of Homeland Security has married Americans safer at all. Look at what we've seen just over the last year. I represent a community in Stockton, California that has an awful lot of immigrants. I've talked to grandmas who are afraid to walk to the grocery store because they might get picked up just, just because of the color of their skin, even if they're American citizens. Kids that are going to school terrified that their parents might not be at home when they come back. This is a DHS that has done so much wrong, not just in Minneapolis, but all across the country. What we need now is we need mandatory mask and identification requirements, strict limits on the use of force, and an end to to the warrantless door to door war that's going on across our neighborhoods. Until we get that, I'm not gonna vote for a dollar going back into the ICE budget.

[Podcast Host]

How long do you think this shutdown is going to last based on what you're understanding?

[Interviewer]

Well, I think that's up to the administration deciding when these reforms are going to be necessary. Hopefully we're gonna continue to see a strong backbone and a resolve on the Democratic Party. Locally. We're seeing that resolve for sure. I've heard from faith leaders, community leaders that they wanna make continuing this fight and not just rubber stamping more money towards ICE. I hope that my colleagues in D.C. are going to continue to hear that message and not back down. Unfortunately, we've seen that a couple times. We can't have that happen again. So if we can continue that resolve, ultimately it's up to the administration when they decide that those reforms are finally going to be necessary.

[Podcast Host]

Now you mentioned ICE and cbp, but DHS is a much bigger agency of tsa, Coast Guard, other parts of female. Are there any conversations right now about maybe doing one off funding bills for say tsa? Because the lines at TSA right now across the country are sometimes reaching two hours and workers are being. They're working without any pay.

[Interviewer]

Absolutely. I would love to make sure that we're able to fund the Coast Guard, tsa, fema, other DHS agencies that shouldn't be held hostage just because of all the abuses going on at ice. That's up to the administration. There are a number of Democratic efforts that are out there. Happy to vote tomorrow to make sure that we are getting resources to the Coast Guard and FEMA and other agencies. But ultimately, I think the administration likes the talking point that these agencies aren't getting money just because they're not going to. They're not willing to make the necessary reforms.

[Podcast Host]

To dice, what is your message to someone in District who maybe is a TSA agent or has a family member who's a TSA agent and they say, listen, I'm struggling. I can't afford rent next month. What should I do?

[Interviewer]

Yeah, look, I think it's absolutely terrible, but what I've heard from folks across our community is they understand why this fight is so important. Immigrants are the economic and social fabric of the entire California Central Valley. We have an ICE facility and I did an event there. We did an oversight inspection just a couple of weeks ago. And I've heard resoundingly from our community that we need to keep up this, this fight until everybody feels safe. And right now, of course, they don't because of all that they've seen from ICE over the past couple of months and year.

[Podcast Host]

Now Kristi Noman's gone. Mark Wayne Mullen is stepping in, allegedly. What is your reaction to the appointment of Senator Mullen as the next DHS secretary?

[Interviewer]

I think her firing is long overdue. It's important accountability, but this is just going to be rearranging the deck chairs until we actually see real policy changes out of this administration. The problem isn't personnel. The problem is policy. And ultimately the person responsible for that policy was never Kristi Noem. She's always been a figurehead. The person responsible for that is Stephen Miller and ultimately Donald Trump. And so I think it's at least an encouraging sign that the administration realizes just how wrong they've gotten this. But it's only a first step unless we're actually going to be able to get real policy changes out of this administration. Administration. I would have loved to see Stephen Miller fired. I think he is far more responsible what's happened than Kristi Noem.

[Podcast Host]

Now, you mentioned accountability and there are some of your Democratic colleagues say that the firing isn't enough. Right. There needs to be potentially impeachment to prevent her from holding office again, or a perjury investigation into her testimony in the Senate or in the House. Where do you stand on that?

[Interviewer]

Well, I think one of the things that should be looked at is whether or not there's criminal culpability. The corruption in DHS under Kristi Noem was absolutely outrageous. This $200 million ad shoot through a no bid contract and just this week another scandal broke that they were purchasing thousands of new ICE vehicles that they can't even use, costing taxpayers millions of dollars. So what I hope happens is there's a full investigation into these abuses of power outside of the purview of this administration, either by an inspector general or an outside firm. And and that Kristi Noem and the folks that have been enabling her are held to account. I think that criminal culpability is probably far more important than anything else because it shows that there are consequences for an administration that is as off the rails as this one.

[Podcast Host]

Congressman, thank you so much for taking the time.

[Interviewer]

Thank you.

[Podcast Host]

Hey folks, thanks so much for watching. Feel free to add this podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify or anywhere you watch for the latest breaking news and daily hits throughout the day. Make sure to follow. Subscribe. See you soon for more.

[Thrive Cosmetics Advertiser]

Some days you just want to amplify your everyday look. Like when you want the look of false lashes without the extra effort. Reach for Thrive Cosmetics Liquid Lash Volumizer Mascara or when you want all eyes on your smile. Keep Empower Gloss Ultra Glossy Lip Serum in your bag. It's a burst of 24 hour hydration that smooths like a serum, shines like a gloss and can be worn sheer or layered. You'll always look and feel your best with Thrive Cosmetics. Plus, every product is 100% vegan, cruelty free and made with clean skin loving ingredients that work with your skin, not against it. Amplify your everyday go to thrivecosmetics.com shine26 for an exclusive offer of 20% off your first order. That's Thrive Cosmetics. C-A U S E M E T-I C S.com shine26.