The Pentagon has failed its seventh consecutive audit, raising more questions about the financial management of the Department of Defense (DoD) and the handling of its $824 billion budget. The audit, which cost taxpayers $178 million, revealed that the DoD still cannot fully account for a significant portion of its funds, leading to growing outrage from taxpayers who are footing the bill.
The audit, conducted by 1,700 auditors, found that of the 28 entities undergoing financial audits, only nine received an unmodified audit opinion. This means that the majority of the department’s financial records are either incomplete or flawed, with auditors unable to verify the accuracy of the data in many cases. While the Pentagon claims that progress is being made, the continued failure has sparked skepticism about the department’s ability to meet its goal of passing a full audit by 2028.
The Pentagon failed its 7th straight audit. Our healthcare system siphons billions into waste & fraud. Our Dept of Education blows $$ without accountability. Unelected bureaucrats are the core problem. DOGE is coming. pic.twitter.com/OmtP81i3ch
— Vivek Ramaswamy (@VivekGRamaswamy) November 17, 2024
Michael McCord, the Pentagon’s comptroller, expressed confidence that the department is on track to improve its financial practices and achieve a clean audit by 2028. McCord attributed the so-called “momentum” to strong leadership from Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin, but critics argue that these assurances are insufficient given the gravity of the financial mismanagement uncovered in the audit.
The DoD’s continued failure to account for its massive budget has prompted renewed calls for greater transparency and accountability. With billions of taxpayer dollars unaccounted for, many are questioning how much longer the Pentagon can operate without a full audit. Some critics argue that the current approach is simply not working and that more substantial reforms are needed.
Who else thinks Pete Hegseth will find out why the Pentagon cannot pass an audit?
There should be accountability for $824 billion dollar budget. pic.twitter.com/jbTqd0Rpn8
— Juanita Broaddrick (@atensnut) November 17, 2024
🚨Joe Rogan laughs hysterically when he realizes the Pentagon has never passed an audit:
"How many times have they missed their audit? WAIT, THEY'VE NEVER PASSED AN AUDIT? REALLY? NEVER?" 😂😂😂 pic.twitter.com/aH6aYYuAJ1
— Autism Capital 🧩 (@AutismCapital) November 17, 2024
Elon Musk and Vivek Ramaswamy, newly appointed leaders tasked with reducing government waste, have weighed in on the issue. Musk joked on social media that the Pentagon’s financial issues could be solved with cryptocurrency, but his remark also underscored the growing frustration with the DoD’s lack of financial oversight.
Some say it was legit.
Some say it was staged.
Some say it was humiliation ritual.But I found it wild that the most anticipated fight of the year just happened to be on the same day the Pentagon failed yet another audit. pic.twitter.com/tTMz7cdcbC
— Shipwreck (@shipwreckshow) November 16, 2024
The dismissiveness of Deputy Defense Secretary Kathleen Hicks in this clip is simply astounding. Jon Stewart points out the Pentagon keeps failing its audits & she literally tries to laugh it off. This is the entrenched mentality the next SecDef will face.pic.twitter.com/2PGjZuxsRC
— Jerry Dunleavy IV 🇺🇸 (@JerryDunleavy) November 16, 2024
As the Pentagon pushes toward its 2028 audit goal, the clock is ticking. The department’s continued failure to meet basic financial accountability standards is a significant concern, not only for taxpayers but for the credibility of the DoD itself.
