The Pentagon has failed its seventh consecutive audit, once again revealing troubling issues with its financial management. Despite being allocated $824 billion for the fiscal year, the Department of Defense (DoD) was unable to account for large portions of its budget, prompting further concerns about transparency and accountability.
The audit, which cost taxpayers $178 million, involved over 1,700 auditors reviewing the financial statements of 28 DoD entities. Of those entities, only nine received an unmodified audit opinion, which indicates proper financial reporting. The remaining 19 entities received a mix of disclaimers or qualified opinions, highlighting significant gaps in financial oversight. A disclaimer means auditors were unable to verify the accuracy of the financial records, which is particularly concerning given the scale of the DoD’s budget.
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
Despite these issues, Pentagon officials remain optimistic about the department’s future. Michael McCord, the DoD’s comptroller, insisted that the department has “turned a corner” in its efforts to improve financial management and transparency. McCord also emphasized that the DoD is committed to passing an unmodified audit by 2028, although this goal has already been delayed for years. His assurances are unlikely to quell growing frustration from taxpayers, who fund the Pentagon’s enormous budget but see little accountability for how it’s spent.
Critics of the DoD argue that these repeated audit failures underscore a deeper problem with financial mismanagement within the department. With billions of dollars unaccounted for, the Pentagon’s inability to pass an audit has raised serious questions about how taxpayer money is being spent and whether the department is truly committed to reforming its financial practices.
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
The audit failure also drew attention from the new leadership of the Department of Government Efficiency, Elon Musk and Vivek Ramaswamy, who have been tasked with cutting government spending. Musk, known for his bold remarks, responded to the Pentagon’s latest audit failure by jokingly suggesting that it might be time for the department to embrace cryptocurrency.
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 DoD continues to pursue an audit pass by 2028, the public remains skeptical. The department’s repeated audit failures suggest that substantial reforms may be needed to restore trust in the Pentagon’s financial management.
